Bye Bye Beautiful
by Kakashis-First-Kiss
Summary: Dooku can kiss Ventress good-bye. Because she's in Obi-Wan's hands now, and they haven't been flirting the entire time for nothing. Ventress/Obi-Wan.
1. Chapter 1

_Did you ever hear what I told you?__  
__Did you ever read what I wrote you?__  
__Did you ever listen to what we played__  
__Did you ever let in what the world said?__  
__Did we get this far just to feel your hate;__  
__Did we play to become only pawns in the game?__  
__How blind can you be, don't you see-__  
__You chose the long road but we'll be waiting!__Bye bye beautiful!_

Obi-Wan knew it was a trick. And yet, he went along with it.

He could sense her within the building; Asajj Ventress. That betraying little brat. She really had nothing better to do, huh? But, deep down, Obi-Wan almost didn't mind the playful banter they exchanged on these run-ins with each other. He told himself that the reason he was going after her was because he thought he could capture her, or kill her, and thus strike a crippling blow at Dooku. He would have taken his most trusted assassin. Why Dooku kept her around, he would never know, though. Had Ventress been lying to him about her time and again failures? Or had she been doing other dark deeds to make up for these failures? Obi-Wan knew he had thwarted her again and again, but had other Jedi managed to do the same? Ventress was a formidable opponent, and Obi-Wan could see many Jedi falling to her blade. But somehow, she always ended up running from him. Why, though? Obi-Wan refused to believe that it was coincidence that every time he came close to getting her, she would always have some convenient ride come up to the edge of the roof. And then, she would be gone once again. Frankly, Obi-Wan was getting annoyed with her. Was she a coward, or was she stupid? Stupid like a fox, he thought ruefully. She was smarter, much smarter, than many gave her credit for.

And then, she was there.

Right in front of them, tall, graceful, sinewy limbs rippling with lean muscle, she reached up and pulled back her hood, revealing her tattooed head and frightening makeup. Obi-Wan felt a wry smile cross his face, and greeted her:

"Ventress. And here I thought this mission would be unpleasant!"

"The pleasure is all mine, my dear Obi-Wan," she purred, long cloak falling from her shoulders. The soft curves of her waist were revealed, as well as her slightly disrespectful attire. Obi-Wan wasn't sure if it was the natural hormones in his body or some fatal attraction that made him stare, but either way, he couldn't help but trace the lines of Ventress's form. "I've missed you." Twin sabers sprouted from Ventress's hands, indicating that her emotions weren't the warm, fuzzy kind that warranted being nice to anyone. In fact, the only reason she wanted to see Obi-Wan again was so she could make it so she would _never _see him. Ever.

Anakin's blade was the first she met, though, much to her disappointment. Ventress easily swatted him away after a short exchange, and then moved to meet Obi-Wan. Ah, now here was something she could deal with. He actually challenged her. Plus, there was the matter of the constant flirting they exchanged. Ventress had to wonder if it meant anything. She didn't think it meant anything…but what if Obi-Wan took her seriously? She doubted he did, given as he returned the taunting, yet romantic words, and he was a Jedi. Ventress could take offense at such, but she realized it would be hypocritical to do so. Ventress bounded up the stairs at her back, graceful as a kybuck and aggressive as a reek. An unnatural light came into her eyes as her red blades met Obi-Wan's blue one again; he pushed her back, though, and Ventress turned tail and ran. Her sabers hid themselves in their rectangular handles, for a moment obscuring the Jedi's view of her. She reached out in the Force, revealing herself again, and hurled several books from the shelves behind her at the approaching Jedi. Anakin and Obi-Wan both caught some, and threw them back at her. Ventress, by then, had moved to run, and wasn't anticipating the counterattack. She felt several of the books strike her: one on her left wrist, one in her stomach, two to her legs, one too close to her head for comfort, and one last one knocking the saber from her right hand. The sudden pressure on her left wrist from the force of the book being hurled forced Ventress to relinquish that blade as well, and the Rattataki fled once again. She wasn't finished yet! She had one last trap laid for the Jedi, and she ran for it.

The Jedi discovered her sitting in front of her trap, cross-legged and seemingly ready to surrender. Ventress had recovered her lightsabers through the Force: she knew exactly where they were, and she would simply call them with the Force to spring her trap.

"Give up, Ventress," Obi-Wan growled, advancing towards her with blue blade outstretched. Ventress felt the smallest of smiles grace her porcelain features at this, and replied,

"I'm all yours, Obi-Wan."

Something sent a charge down her spine as she said this, and Ventress berated herself for it. Damn hormones! Obi-Wan looked confused, but decided not to look a gift kybuck in the mouth. He started towards her, and, just as he and Anakin got halfway there, Ventress reached out through the Force for her sabers.

With a shock, she realized she couldn't access them.

"What, looking for these?" Anakin taunted, extending a hand towards Ventress. To her horror, both of her precious blades were clutched in his hand. By then, though, Obi-Wan had reached her, and had both of his hands on her. Obi-Wan had taken her upper arms in a firm grip, and was pulling her up to her feet. He braced her against his chest, holding her with one hand and was binding her wrists with the other. Ventress decided it wasn't worth the fight: he had her in his grip already, and she clearly wasn't getting her sabers back. But it didn't mean she had to let them know that. To be so humiliated as to go quietly? Not a shot! She was giving them as much of a hard time as possible. Ventress hissed and tried to yank her arms away from Obi-Wan; she didn't want this filth touching her, especially for something so demeaning as to be taking her into custody! But Obi-Wan was having none of this, and dealt Ventress a harsh smack. She took the blow soundlessly, and quieted as Obi-Wan hauled her back to her feet. His strike had sent her flying, and right to the floor. The sudden humiliation of the situation struck Ventress full force as Obi-Wan bound her hands behind her back, and the Rattataki numbly thought to herself that Dooku was going to kill her.

On the bright side, though, she was guaranteed she wouldn't be tortured while she waited.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

"I am going to kill you!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"I am going to kill you!"

"You can't even stand up right now!"

"_I am going to kill you!!"_

"_You have serious anger issues!!"_

"Anakin, please shut up. While your shouting isn't too bad, her voice is much higher pitched, and this room echoes. Try not to upset her."

"I'm going to kill you, too!"

"She could try Yoda's patience."

"She's certainly doing a good job of trying mine."

Ventress angrily spat in Obi-Wan's direction, feeling some sort of gross satisfaction as her saliva connected with the Jedi master's cheek. Obi-Wan looked disgusted, but wiped his face clean with the back of his hand and said nothing. Anakin looked caught between snickering and kicking Ventress's ribs in.

"You can't hold me forever," Ventress snarled. "I will escape!"

"That's what they all say," Anakin muttered, folding his arms and giving Ventress a penetrating glare. The Rattataki female sitting at his feet looked ready to spit at him, too. Anakin gave her a devilish smirk, and then moved away as Ventress spit again. Obi-Wan dealt her another rough smack, but Ventress remained unaffected.

"So much for Jedi mercy," she snarled, glaring threateningly at Obi-Wan.

"I am allowed to discipline you if need be. What I'm not allowed to do is cause you unnecessary pain."

Ventress snickered, and leaned back against the wall of the holding cell the Jedi had locked her in. They hadn't left the world just yet, but Ventress knew that the Jedi Temple was looming close on her horizon. She tried, once again, to fight against the Force-suppressing drugs the Jedi had managed to conjure up, but to no avail. They had given her an overdose, she swore. And the fact that her hands were tied wasn't improving her nasty mood. Obi-Wan had made sure, as well, that she was tied to some heavy object, to prevent her from getting up. That heavy object just happened to be a wooden beam in the exposed section of wall behind her.

"So, what are you going to do with me?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Well, the plan was to get you back to the Jedi Temple, and then just let the Council deal with you," he said ambiguously. Ventress could guess there wasn't much of a plan.

"I don't suppose I can convince you to change that plan?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, and Ventress sighed in defeat. This was it, huh? She knew she would get the death sentence. Anyone like her would be killed immediately. She would be sentenced to trial with the Senate, and they would convict her of some thousands of murders within the hour. And that was that. She had lived her entire life for nothing, then. Well, it wasn't for nothing, she supposed. If she was going down, she would bring a ton of them with her. Plant a bomb, and blow herself up. Only one problem: she couldn't get to a bomb right now!

But, speaking of bombs, there was a sharp, resonating crash from outside. Ventress felt the building shudder against her hands, and pulled at the metal holding her down. Again, her attempts were in vain. She vaguely registered Anakin saying, "I'll see what that was," and leaving, but by the time she looked up again, he was gone. Obi-Wan was left alone with her, and he was looking down at her with something resembling pity.

"I don't need your sympathy."

Obi-Wan roughly sighed, and slowly lowered himself to sit down across from Ventress. The Sith woman was slightly put off by the gesture: what did he want, getting so close to her? Ventress pulled her legs closer to her body, tucking them neatly underneath her and straightening up a bit, trying to flatten herself against the wall. If Obi-Wan didn't know better, he might have mistaken her gestures for thinking his touch poisonous.

"I'm not offering you sympathy. I just want to talk."

"If I may use your Padawan's words: that's what they all say."

Obi-Wan smiled, and set his hands on his knees. "Ventress, I have wanted to ask you for a long time: what had driven you to hate the Jedi so much? I know you used to be one: what changed?"

Ventress turned her gaze away from Obi-Wan, trying to meet his gaze at all costs. Those icy blue-gray eyes of his just drove her to talk, she swore…if he was going to be the one doing the talking, they wouldn't even have to resort to torture, even if they were allowed. Obi-Wan gently reached out to her, taking his chin in his hand and turning her head back to face him once again. Ventress, surprisingly, offered no resistance. Their eyes met again, and Ventress simply crumpled.

"They abandoned Ky Narec, my master," she said softly, still trying not to meet his eyes. But, despite her desperation, she couldn't tear her eyes away. Nor could she get her mind off his hand on her skin: the contact drove her mad, with the tingling heat that spread throughout her entire body. "They drove him from the Order, and so, he was Gray when he found me. He trained me, and then he was killed. Simple."

Obi-Wan's face twisted with clear pity and anguish for Ventress. This drove the Rattataki to wrench her head away, snapping, "I told you, I don't need your sympathies."

"And I told you, I wasn't trying to be sympathetic," Obi-Wan persisted, allowing his hand to mercifully fall from her face. "I just want to see your reasoning."

"You want to know exactly what's going on in my mind. You want to know how I think. You want to know what made me do this, and that, and how I arrived at such and such a decision. You want to use that deduction against me, and cater to my way of thinking to persuade me to your side. Don't think I'm that stupid! I'm sick and tired of it!"

"Of what?"

Obi-Wan's soft words stopped her cold. Ventress had been referring to having people constantly trying to win her over, but…maybe she was sick of something else. What was it? The war? The fighting? The conflict? The under-handed trickery? The gross negligence and disregard for sentient life? Ventress didn't know. And, once again, she turned away from Obi-Wan's hand.

This time, it was his cool palm that cupped her cheek, asking her, instead of demanding it from her, to look into his eyes one more time. And Ventress found herself obeying. A soft exhale barely escaped: she was holding her breath. Obi-Wan shifted his weight to his knees, and leaned a bit closer to Ventress. He barely had to move to get closer to her: her body was suddenly trembling, torn between her duty and her desires-

A whisper in the Force warned them, and Obi-Wan stood up as the doors slid open once again. Anakin stuck his head in, smiling.

"That crash was the ship landing on the roof. Grab her, and let's go!"

Obi-Wan nodded, and knelt down again next to Ventress. He reached around her back and uncuffed her from the wall, using a firm grip on her elbow to pull her to her feet. And, as he marched Ventress to what she knew would be her doom, she couldn't help but notice a certain yielding softness in Obi-Wan that hadn't been there before.

So much for not pitying her.

**A/N: Argh, I did it to myself again. XP The romance scenes from anywhere and everywhere that pretty much drive me insane until they hit either paper or Internet. This came from Ventress and Obi-Wan's constant flirting. And you've noticed it too, don't deny it! Those two are always hitting on each other, don't try to fool yourselves!! Okay, I'm done. But please, review. I wanna keep this alive.**

**Lyrics are from Nightwish's Bye Bye Beautiful.**


	2. Chapter 2

Ventress was brooding.

She had been brusquely marched onto the ship that would take them back to Coruscant, and then handed off to several clone troopers, who were even rougher with her than Anakin or Obi-Wan. Well, she really couldn't complain about Obi-Wan: he had been surprisingly gentle with her, considering the circumstances. Anakin, though…Anakin was out for blood, and took every opportunity to let Ventress know it. As soon as she had been handed off to the clones, Ventress had thought a respite would be short in coming. She had been wrong. The clones had taken her from the foot of the ramp back into the bowels of the cruiser they were riding in, and she had been roughly dragged, prodded, and treated like a stupid animal the entire way. Ventress could hear the clones making fun of her in their native Mandalorian language, thinking she couldn't understand them. Among the insults were "superiority complex," "cheap whore," and "blind, loyal dog." Ventress had taken about as much abuse as she could by the time they reached the lowest levels of the cruiser, and she was thrust into a random cell. As the doors closed, the clones offered one last insult: "And she's so stupid, I've seen reeks that could think faster than she could!"

Ventress stood up, glaring viciously, and held her chin up, trying to at least regain a scrap of dignity. "And I've swallowed things smarter than you," she growled, replying in the Mandalorians' own language. The clones exchanged what Ventress knew where concerned glances under their helmets, and then the doors closed, obscuring them from view. Ventress sighed softly, and took a look around her. There was absolutely nothing in sight. Absolutely, positively nothing. Stark gray walls greeted her, mockingly offering comfort in the fact that there weren't any sharp instruments around. Ventress took a seat against the left wall, dropping first to her knees and then swinging her legs out from underneath her so she was sitting on her rear with her legs crossed in front of her. Ventress tried to work around her hands, which were still secured behind her back. It was hard, though, being left with such limited mobility. Ventress tried to clear her mind and meditate in spite of it, and decided that she would search for the brightest beacon in the Force that she knew of: Dooku.

Not surprisingly, the master of the dark side of the Force was not hard to find, nor make contact with. _Ventress! _he scolded. _Why have you not made contact? I've been waiting for hours for you! You were supposed to send me the results of your attack, and what happened with our informant after we took Christophus. Lord Sidious is not a patient man, and I have been bearing the brunt of his irritation on your behalf-_

Ventress took a deep breath, and cut Dooku off mid-sentence. _I do realize that I have caused my lord much trouble, _she whispered. _But I feel you should know that it was only because I was rendered unable to communicate with you. I have been captured by Jedi forces, and I am being escorted back to Coruscant in an armored cruiser. They have shut off my ability to manipulate the Force, and they will probably restrict my access to it altogether once we reach Coruscant. I need you to come and find me…and help me._

Hearing his apprentice's voice had, at first, surprised Dooku. Ventress always used holograms for communication, unless she was completely and totally unable to access it. And now she was speaking to him using the Force? No, that usually didn't happen. But the second Ventress had spoken, Dooku had heard the clear distress in her voice, and knew all of a sudden how serious the situation was. Ventress might be recalling some nasty memories, or maybe she was just scared. This had never happened to her before, and now she was staring death in the face. She had knocked on death's door many times, but never had she seen its terrifying visage. This was going to be rough.

_And what exactly do you want from me? _Dooku asked. _I can't just walk into the Temple and walk back out with you. What do you want me to do?_

_If I knew would I be asking you?!_

Dooku gave a rough sigh and raised one hand to stroke his beard. This was difficult, indeed. And it was bound to be all over the Holonet by the evening had come. The legendary Asajj Ventress captured by Jedi and awaiting trial in the Senate. There was a chance Darth Sidious could save her, but it was very, very slim. If he tried to do anything as Chancellor Palpatine, he might be forced to reveal himself sooner than anticipated. If he moved as Darth Sidious, it could put them all in an awkward situation. But, if Dooku moved…ah, now there was a prospect. He was a very public figure already, and all knew where his allegiances lay. Fine. If the Jedi wanted to make it public, so would be.

_You will not be making deals over me like a steak! I won't stand for it!_

_You're in a fine position to be making demands. _Dooku amusedly contemplated the silence on the other end of the connection, and smiled slightly. Yes, he could make this interesting, indeed…_Anything else I should know?_

_Kenobi. It was he who captured me, along with Skywalker. But I believe Kenobi has been feeling sympathy for me. I can play that to my advantage._

_Ah, good girl. Keep him on your side. Soon, I'll make my move. And I promise, this will be done so that you are safely returned to me, in one piece, and with most of your dignity still intact._

_Thank you, my lord. It is all I ask._

Dooku then severed the connection, and Ventress was left alone in the cold, dark cell.

OOOOOOOOOO

Obi-Wan could sense her simply radiating distress in the Force. She obviously wasn't happy, but there was something else underneath all the anger: fear. Was she really so afraid of dying? Well, he supposed anyone would be. But Ventress, of all people? She, who had stared down death and laughed, and then conquered it? Obi-Wan was confused, to say the least. He and several other Jedi were sitting up in the bridge of the cruiser, and they were preparing to enter hyperspace to get back to Coruscant. The Jedi consisted of himself, Kit Fisto, Luminara Unduli, Anakin, and Ahsoka. It seemed only he, Kit, and Luminara could sense Ventress's unease: they kept exchanging nervous glances every time they felt her shiver. Finally, Obi-Wan simply stood up, nodded to Luminara, and exited the bridge. Luminara understood him; he was going to see if he couldn't calm Ventress down.

The walk down the cruiser's length seemed excruciatingly long. The cruiser itself was close to a full mile long, and Obi-Wan was situated at the front of said massive distance. Ventress had been sent to the back. As Obi-Wan walked, he could feel her despair more and more acutely; as he drew nearer to her, her emotions flooded him. Obi-Wan finally just blocked himself out from the Force; he couldn't take Ventress's crashing emotions. By the time he finally reached her cell, he was close to restricting any and all of her access to the Force. She was Force-projecting, and the chances were, she knew it.

The clones at the door, snapped to attention as Obi-Wan approached; they crisply saluted, and one of them asked, "Ah General Kenobi! What brings you down here to face such an animal?"

"Said animal has been Force-projecting ever since we got aboard, and it's getting on all of our nerves" Obi-Wan said dryly, typing in the pass code for the door. The door cycled open with a hiss of pressurized air, and Obi-Wan stepped through, entering Ventress's cell with caution.

She was sitting against the left wall meditating, tears streaming down her face.

Obi-Wan felt his heart go out to her, but he knew he shouldn't have. She didn't deserve sympathy; not after everything she had done! Obi-Wan tried to recall anything that would make him see why his thoughts were taking him towards sympathy for this girl: but he could see nothing in his memory. In fact, he could only recall instances that would make him hate her. Her repeated elusion of him; scarring Anakin; humiliating the both of them time and again; slaughtering countless Jedi on a near daily basis; and finally, the cherry on top, her own capture and torture of him. Obi-Wan knew he should despise this woman: and yet, seeing her broken and distressed at his feet triggered some automatic male response within him. Something about men always hated to see a woman cry, and Obi-Wan was no exception.

"Asajj."

For once, he addressed her by her first name, and not the name most knew her by. The sound of another voice seemed to do the trick; Ventress snapped out of her reverie, ice blue eyes flashing open and spraying opalescent tears everywhere. She looked shocked to see him: had she really not sensed his approach, or better yet, heard it?

"Did I startle you?"

"Yeah, just a little," Ventress snapped, bending her long neck to her shoulders to wipe away the tears. Obi-Wan held up a hand; he took a step towards her, and pulled a cloth out of a pouch on his belt. For cleaning wounds, and such. But now, he used it to blot the tears from Ventress's porcelain cheeks. Ventress felt him hesitate when he came to her eyes: she had covered them heavily in makeup, and even Obi-Wan knew that if it was one thing women were touchy about, it was their makeup.

"Oh, just take it off."

Obi-Wan shrugged, and carefully wiped Ventress's eyes clean of the tears and running makeup. Ventress closed her eyes as he did so, to keep the makeup out. As Obi-Wan removed the terrifying marks, he could see more clearly now the true face of Asajj Ventress. And he had to say, he found it much more appealing then the makeup-covered look she had adopted for whatever odd reason. And, while he was at it, he may as well remove the rest.

Ventress, oddly, didn't react when Obi-Wan wiped the rest of the makeup from her face. She instead remained completely still, trying not to make eye contact, and waiting. _But waiting for what? _Obi-Wan ruefully thought. Chances were, she knew what was about to happen to her, and she was just scared of what was going to happen.

"Just hang in there," Obi-Wan said softly, offering a soft smile as encouragement. "I promise, we'll make every attempt to treat you with dignity."

Ventress looked up at Obi-Wan, filling her eyes with tears once again and trying to look as sweet and innocent as possible. "But…why?" she whispered, keeping her voice soft and subdued. "I've done nothing but cause you pain, cause your friends pain-I have taken the lives of so many, and I would have taken the lives of many more, had you not captured me-"

"You're an intelligent being, and you deserve to be treated with respect," Obi-Wan said, shrugging indefinitely. "There has to be a point where all sentient life is respected, regardless of what they have done. There is a line where we all need to put aside our differences, and just shut up and listen to each other. Sadly, few can see that line, and even fewer can obey it. I am hoping to be at least able to see the line, so I know what I've done wrong and can properly atone for it later. I can make my own decisions, and not wonder aimlessly about the repercussions. This way, we all know what's coming."

Ventress smiled softly. "Noble words," she said. "But isn't there a point, also, where there simply can't be respect for sentient life? Such horrible atrocities committed that nothing can make up for these sins?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Every living creature has a right to life, and basic freedoms. Freedom to life. Freedom to speak. Freedom to make your own decisions. These are all fundamental rights we should never deny another living creature, and yet, this happens on a daily basis. The Jedi were formed around the principle that we should defend these people who are being deprived of their rights, and that we should try to keep the peace so that every being can at least have a chance. Sadly, we have been turned into soldiers recently, and we are being used as a tool to combat what one man's idea of right and wrong is. In a sense, I suppose we are being deprived of our rights, by being raised as infants to adhere to a strict code of living, and to embrace only that one way of living."

Ventress contemplated Obi-Wan's words. Much as she hated to admit it, he was right. His words were wise beyond his twenty-some years of age, and Ventress couldn't hope to compete with them. Still, she had something she needed to ask, and she knew she couldn't rest until she heard the answer.

"You recognize the faults of the Jedi. Have you ever considered disobeying that code of laws which they set for you?"

Obi-Wan faltered. He could see clearly that Ventress was looking for a weak point in his defenses: and, somehow, he was hoping she would find it. Such a woman as her didn't deserve to go down all alone, without a single person who cared.

"I might. For the right people; under the right circumstances."

"General?"

Obi-Wan glanced up at the commando that had just entered the cell. "We have just re-entered real-space. You are needed on the bridge."

_That fast? _"Alright. Thank you." The clone nodded once and saluted, and then left. Obi-Wan stood up, giving Ventress a pained stare.

"Here's a hint: don't struggle."

The doors hissed shut behind him, and Ventress allowed a sudden feeling of calm and triumph to wash over her. "Works every time!"

**A/N: Little demon-child, Ventress is. Review, please!**


	3. Chapter 3

Obi-Wan emerged on the bridge a few minutes later, to several astonished gazes. "What?" he asked, taking a seat next to Luminara. The female Jedi master just shook her head.

"You got her to calm down," she said slowly. "I could still sense her within the Force, but she just seemed so much more…ah, mellow, I guess."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Just needed to hear a rational voice, I suppose," he said, eager to drop the matter. He wasn't going to lie and say that Ventress had calmed down, per say: just come to terms with her fate.

Luminara shrugged slightly, and the ship slowly began its descent to Coruscant's surface. The Mirilian female stared out the viewport with a blank look on her face, impossible to read and even more impossible to understand. Obi-Wan said bluntly: "I promised her we would do this with dignity."

Luminara nodded once. "I'll see if we can get an escort."

"No shot," Anakin said defeatedly. "There's going to be paparazzi for miles around. News of her capture's already leaked to the Holonet."

"Who leaked?!" Luminara asked incredulously.

Anakin shrugged. "I can find out."

"Do that now," Obi-Wan said. "It wasn't any of you, was it?" Several heads shook, and Obi-Wan fixated his stare on Ahsoka. The Togruta teenager shook her head vigorously, Akul-tooth headdress whipping around. Obi-Wan glared next at Anakin, who gave him his trademark, 'Oh, come _on!'_ look. Luminara and Kit shook their heads before Obi-Wan even got to focus fully on them, and Obi-Wan knew he himself had not said a word to anyone outside the ship. "That just leaves the clones," he said softly. "And there are dozens of them."

"Plus bystanders outside the ship who might have seen her, plus the people on Christophsis, and the droids, and anyone in that building, plus security cameras-"

"Got a source!" Anakin crowed. He was sitting in front of what was supposed to be the ship's navigational computer, but he was using it to trace the coordinates of the first Holonet broadcast of Ventress's capture. "The first broadcast came from Christophsis itself," he said, pointing to a coordinate. "Right here. That's barely a mile from where we were."

"Anyone put down names yet?" Obi-Wan asked.

"One Holonet channel just points to another Holonet channel," Anakin said grimly. "It's an endless chain. But this last one says they got it from the commander of the Separatists himself."

"Dooku?"

"Appears that way. But we haven't had any contact with him as of yet."

"Then it was Ventress herself!" Kit said slowly. "Ingenious. You didn't cut off all of her access to the Force, I know. She must have meditated, allowed Dooku to open a channel with her, and then told him what had happened."

"New broadcast."

The entire command center fell silent at Anakin's words, and then, the Holoprojector sprung up an image of a Bith sitting at a desk, several sheets of flimsiplast in his hands. "This just in from the Separatists," he was saying, setting the paper down again. "For those of you who are just joining us, Asajj Ventress, the brutal assassin of the Separatist cause, has just been captured by Jedi and is being transported to Coruscant aboard an armored cruiser. Her employer, the Separatist commander Count Dooku, has offered the Jedi a ransom of over a million credits-before she has even reached the planet!"

Obi-Wan and Luminara exchanged horrified glances. Kit looked ready to kill something. Anakin looked mildly concerned, his mind not withholding the political significance of the move, and Ahsoka just looked confused. "Later," Obi-Wan said softly, patting her shoulder. Ahsoka nodded, and re-tuned herself to the Holonet broadcast.

"And more breaking news-the cruiser has just landed-"

_Skid-skid-skid-bump._

Anakin sighed. "The poo," he muttered, staring at the footage of their very cruiser landing on a runway. "How are they getting live feed from us?"

Kit grimly pointed out the viewport. To Obi-Wan's horror, there were millions of humanoid species of aliens lining the runway, all of them Coruscanti eager to see Ventress receive justice. "What are they all doing here?!" Obi-Wan hissed angrily. "We need to get them out of here!"

"No chance," Luminara huffed. "I doubt even Shaak Ti can make it through this mess."

"Don't underestimate her," Kit said, standing up and preparing to exit the ship. "I've seen that vicious little bundle of energy fly through worse than this on a regular basis."

"Well, she better be here," Obi-Wan muttered. "Otherwise, we're all going to be eaten alive by these reporters."

"Only the one who's got Ventress."

Kit snickered. "I nominate Obi-Wan," he said. "He got her calm before; he can do it again."

Luminara nodded. "She's crossed blades with everyone here, though. She might bare some sort of grudge. Except against you, Kit; she's never fought you."

"I wouldn't trust him with her as far as I can throw him," Anakin scoffed, standing up as the ship finally came to a sliding halt. "Although, if I used the Force, I could probably throw him pretty far."

"Look who's talking," Ahsoka said, grinning. "Well, I couldn't keep her under control if I tried. Not without a lightsaber, anyway."

Obi-Wan sighed. "This is what I get for being so good at what I do, hm?" he murmured, heading for the doors to the main section of the ship. "You all go out and clear a path. I'm just going to grab her, keep her right by me, and run."

Luminara glanced at Obi-Wan. "Where are we taking her, anyway?"

"The temple," Obi-Wan replied shortly. "Where else?"

OOOOOOOOOO

Ventress's first thought was, _I am going to kill him. So brutally and so mercilessly, it'll make Grievous look like a saint!_

Obi-Wan had just broken it to her that there were more reporters hanging around outside than he'd seen in a good, long time. Ever, in fact. Ventress had known that Dooku was going to make some massive, public move, but this was ridiculous! Ventress sighed, closed her eyes, and let her head fall back against the wall. Slowly, the numbers ticked off in her mind: ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two…

"Well, Obi-Wan. Since you swore it to me that this would be gone with dignity, how exactly do you plan to get me to the Temple in some manner of grace?"

Obi-Wan sighed, and ran a hand through his auburn hair. "I was thinking we could just make a run for it," he muttered. "Obviously, they have to see you come out of the ship. Just keep your head down, and let the lightsabers do the talking. If someone asks you anything, just tell them, 'no comment.' I wouldn't recommend swearing, or kicking."

Ventress offered a dry smile. "You know me so well."

"Come on," Obi-Wan said, helping Ventress to her feet. "Luminara, Ahsoka, Anakin, and Kit have already cleared a path. We can just go right through. There's a transport waiting for us to take us back to the Temple."

Ventress slowly nodded, letting Obi-Wan pull her up. He took his hands off her for a moment, letting her find her balance again, and then took her upper arm in one of his hands, guiding her towards the main loading ramp of the ship.

Immediately, they were assailed by aliens of every species.

Biths, Twi'leks, Toydarians, Mirilians, humans, Zabraks, and countless other species of every size, color, and number of arms had appeared, and each of them seemed bent on getting a statement. Ventress's first reaction was to kill them all in one bloodbath. Her next reaction was to simply _run._ Obi-Wan grabbed her and pulled her after him as he moved, seemingly along some known path. That was when Ventress realized-they were flanked by Jedi with their flashing blades, and clones with their rifles, pushing back the crowds and allowing them through. The Jedi, apparently, knew where they were going: Ventress could sense a pattern in their movements as they fought their way through the vicious crowd. Several times, she had to accidently-on-purpose kick someone out of the way; if anyone noticed, they didn't say anything. The press of thousands of bodies, each other their own unique and sometimes repulsive odor was beginning to make Ventress feel claustrophobic-even though she normally had no problem with small, smelly spaces. Maybe it was because the small, smelly place was moving all around her…?

And then, she could breathe again.

Ventress found herself aboard a small transport vehicle, several other Jedi and a few clones around her. Obi-Wan gently tugged her after him towards the back of the shuttle, and helped her to sit down in a seat not three rows from the back. Anakin sat down behind them; Luminara took up a seat left and in front of them, with Ahsoka next to her, and Kit directly across from Ventress.

Obi-Wan sat down right next to her.

Ventress flushed and looked away, scooting as far away from Obi-Wan as the seat would allow. A light purple-pink tainted her cheeks as blood rushed to the area, burning up with shame and embarrassment. Obi-Wan didn't pursue her; he just sat there, and let her do as she pleased. The entire ride to the Jedi Temple, while mere minutes, seemed to stretch on for an eternity to Ventress and the Jedi on board the shuttle. Ventress remained utterly silent, staring sourly out the window and refusing to speak. Luminara tried to start a conversation with Kit, but Ventress's thunder cloud of depression seemed to have settled over the entire shuttle. The conversation didn't hold, and fizzled out after barely an exchange.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the shuttle landed at the Temple.

Waiting for them was the entire Jedi Council, from Mace Windu to Yoda to Plo Koon. Ventress sighed, and slowly sat up, waiting until the engine had cut to stand up. Obi-Wan wordlessly took her arm and led her off the shuttle. Luminara and Ahsoka had practically raced off the shuttle; Anakin wasn't far behind them, and only Kit Fisto exited after Obi-Wan and Ventress.

"Rough time getting here?"

Ventress glanced over at the Togruta who had spoken. "Shaak Ti," she growled. "Don't talk to me."

Shaak Ti's face remained perfectly smooth and unreadable. "Relax, Ventress," she said softly. "I promise you, no one here will hurt you. Please understand that this is necessary, and we will treat you with as much dignity and respect as the situation will allow." As Shaak Ti spoke, Yoda stepped forward, and he didn't look pleased to see Ventress.

"Asajj Ventress," he grunted, hobbling up to her and looking up at her. Ventress lifted her head nobly, looking down her nose at Yoda. "Have anything to say for yourself, do you?"

"Don't _even_ talk to me."

Yoda, to everyone's surprise, laughed. "Stubborn you are, Ventress, but see soon, you will, just how seriously you are being taken. Take not for granted our generosity in letting you live."

"I would sooner die than be your captive," Ventress spat. "What honor is there in that? I would rather die a warrior's death than be shamefully executed like a common criminal. And to be taken by Jedi!"

"Ashamed, are you?"

"You could say that."

"Your master has been in contact with us," Mace Windu said, stepping up to Ventress. "I suggest you start making apologies. Either that, or getting in touch with some old friends."

Ventress lifted her head, straightening up as tall as she could to match Mace's height.

"I'm not scared of you."

"Us, or Dooku?"

Ventress sighed, and looked away. "I wish I knew."

Mace nodded once, seemingly unaffected by Ventress's words. "I will be placing you under the eye of a female Jedi," he said. "Even I, as a man, know that females have certain needs, and so, I figured a female would be able to provide for those needs more so than a male could. Master Stass Allie will see to you."

Ventress said nothing still, and refused to speak again as Allie led her away. The tall, dark-skinned human female looked completely emotionless as she approached Ventress, Toloth headdress swinging slightly as she moved. Her bright blue eyes flashed, though, betraying her true feelings as she took Ventress from Obi-Wan's custody. Kit and the rest of the Council started walking back into the Temple; Obi-Wan fell into step beside Mace as they followed, albeit at a slower pace.

"Dooku contacted us directly after he broadcast this to the Holonet," Mace said. "I am concerned that this may be a Separatist trick of some sort."

"I doubt it," Obi-Wan said, frowning slightly. "If it was, they wouldn't have made it so public so quickly. Anything they do will almost immediately be made public. They can't move very much now; and, if they do move, it needs to be very, very carefully done. A mistake now could cost Dooku and the Separatists the war."

"But why do they care about her so much?" Mace murmured, voice dropping to a near-whisper. "Sith don't care about their own. Eat, or be eaten. Every man for themselves. They don't usually go through such trouble to rescue one of their own, except very rarely if it's for their own good."

"So maybe this is for their own good," Obi-Wan mused. "But for what? Public image?"

"It would certainly make them seem much more approachable if they appeared to genuinely care about their associates."

Obi-Wan sighed and bowed his head, staring at the tiles passing under his feet as he walked into the Jedi Temple with Mace. "I'll see if I can talk to her," he finally said. "She responds to me."

Mace looked confused. "You, Obi-Wan?" he asked skeptically. "I don't doubt you, but every experience she's ever had with you should close her off from you instead of opening her up."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I don't know why, but let's not look a gift kybuck in the mouth. You want to be there, or not?"

"Will she talk if there are others around?"

"Probably not."

"Then no, I do not want to be caught in your explosion."

**A/N: Whoo. Chapter. Fireworks major next chapter. Review?**


	4. Chapter 4

Ventress was still brooding.

The second Obi-Wan entered Stass Allie's apartment, he could feel the thick, heavy atmosphere Ventress seemed to carry with her nowadays. The human Jedi woman wordlessly held up her hands, walking past him as he entered. Obi-Wan took this to be, _watch her for a minute while I figure out a way to kill her without anyone knowing it was me._ Obi-Wan closed the door behind himself and after Allie, and proceeded down the entrance hallway. He found Ventress curled up on the couch, stubbornly staring out the window with her arms on the side of the couch and her head resting on her arms. The entire lower half of her face was hidden by the pale limbs, but what Obi-Wan could see simply radiated hatred.

"Can I talk to you? Maybe?"

Ventress's icy eyes turned to him, slowly, and soon were fixed firmly on him. She said nothing, but her eyes softened the smallest bit. Obi-Wan took that as an affirmative, and sat down next to her.

"Hey," he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Ventress's skin shivered slightly at the contact, but she didn't pull away. "Can I talk to your face, instead of your butt?"

"You like it."

Obi-Wan looked amused and like he had been slapped at the same time. "Whoa, hello!" he said, a slow smile emerging on his face. "She flirts!"

Obi-Wan narrowly avoided a sharp kick to the skull for that one.

"Easy, easy," he laughed. "I was kidding. What, I'm not allowed to joke around you, now?"

"Just don't talk to me."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, and moved closer to Ventress again. "Just calm down, okay?" he said softly, making no move to touch her. Ventress still ignored him, so Obi-Wan continued: "I don't want to hurt you. No one here does. We're Jedi: we don't harbor grudges, seek revenge. That is the dark path; and we don't dare go near it for fear of losing ourselves." Obi-Wan slowly reached out, laying his hand against the side of Ventress's face. "Isn't that what happened to you?"

Ventress whipped around, slapping his hand away. "Don't you dare!" she hissed. "That is not-…"

Her voice trailed off, and Obi-Wan looked at her with something like sadness on his face. "Ventress," he said, "Remember who you used to be? An innocent little girl, so excited to be trained as a Jedi. Content to play in your back yard, maybe playing with a ball with some friends. You then grew up like a normal teenage girl, but also a Jedi. And that was fine with you. But then, those vicious warlords of your planet took that all away. In a flash. I understand your pain, Ventress, I really do: and you probably didn't have another choice at that point. I know what your planet is like, and I know that to walk in the light was something that not many people did. I'm sorry you had to lose it all, but please, trust me when I say I understand-"

"Oh, you understand, huh?" Ventress hissed, anger clouding her bright blue eyes once again. "What could you possibly understand about it? You never lost your parents, or your siblings, or your master-"

"Oh, yes, I did," Obi-Wan said sharply. "While I never knew my parents, or my siblings, I knew they existed. And it hurt to grow up without them. But Qui-Gon was my father, in a way, and it killed me inside when he died, murdered by a Sith lord. But, unlike you, I had the benefit of others around to comfort me. So please, don't make such assumptions without proper basis."

Ventress seemed quieted by what she had just heard. Her aggressive posture relaxed a bit, and she seemed a bit taken aback by the fact that maybe there was someone out there who understood. "I-I'm sorry for your loss," she stammered finally. "How long ago was it?"

"About ten years, at this point," Obi-Wan said softly. "But, I do not mourn him. He has fulfilled his purpose in this universe, and has achieved eternity in the Force. He's undoubtedly happier now; I cannot want him to come back to this earth when he's in a better place."

Ventress seemed intrigued by the new look of death. "But…death is the end," she said. Her position shifted again: she turned around completely, and sat cross-legged in front of Obi-Wan. "Death is when you leave this world, and you never come back."

"But death is the beginning of a new life," Obi-Wan said evenly. "Yes, it is the end of the old life, but it is the beginning of a new one. And no one really knows for sure what comes after that."

Ventress slowly nodded, seeing Obi-Wan's point of view. "I was always terrified of death," she admitted. "I was always afraid to leave this world, and always thought that I would take any ticket to immortality there was. But, hearing you say this…it makes sense, in a way. I'm wondering if maybe…maybe, I was wrong...all this time…"

"We're all wrong at some point. Maybe now is that point for you."

For the first time, Ventress smiled.

A true smile, from the heart: not a sickly amused grin, not the hint of an impish smirk that usually graced her features, not the sadistic, terrifying smile of a killer crazed. No, this was a real smile, the way a smile was supposed to be used: to express some sort of positive feeling. And Obi-Wan had to admit, when Ventress was truly smiling, it was much more attractive than when she was grinning like a murderous Cheshire cat. And, since all her makeup had been washed off, he could finally see her true face…had she always been this attractive?

Obi-Wan mentally slapped himself. _What am I thinking? _he thought to himself. _I can't be thinking like this-not again. I buried these feelings once, dammit, they will stay buried! _Obi-Wan firmly told himself that he refused to feel any sort of connection between himself and Ventress. But, deep down, he knew that that had already happened. From the moment he learned her true past, he had felt that bond open between them, whether either of them acknowledged it or not.

Ventress, on the other hand, was simply confused. She didn't know what she was feeling-she had never experienced anything like it. It was sort of like her entire body was tingling; her skin crawled, her muscles twitched, her ligaments hummed, her nerves sang-she couldn't keep eye contact with him. She couldn't even bring herself to look at his face. Her hands shook slightly; she wound her fingers together in her lap to keep them still. Once safely inside Allie's room, she had been released from her restraints. But now, Ventress was almost wishing she hadn't. She could explain so much more with the convenient excuse-

Obi-Wan found himself reaching out to Ventress, offering calming waves of energy through the Force. The light side passed over to Ventress, softly caressing the part of her that was still that scared little girl who had no direction in life, no memory of what she once was, stumbling around in the dark, unaided by any sort of light in her life-

Obi-Wan felt her reach for him as well, both in a physical and literal sense. She needed this, he could tell. She was suffering, and suffering greatly. She had finally allowed her heart to open to him, and he prayed they wouldn't be interrupted-

Their hands touched, and met with fire.

The contact sent a shock down Obi-Wan's spine. Ventress's eyes widened, and her breath hitched in her throat. Both of them held their breath as his left hand and her right found each other, fingers interlocking, palms pressing together, sending electrical shocks down each of their spines, reverberating throughout their entire bodies, resounding off their every curve, echoing from every fiber of their being-!

Their breath came back.

"You felt that, too," Ventress whispered, suddenly able to look into those steel gray eyes of his. Obi-Wan nodded.

"I can't deny that," he said softly. Ventress reached for him again: he took her other hand, holding it softly in his own, unsure of what she wanted but sure of what he himself wanted-

"We can't-"

"We can't be-"

"But we are-"

"I'm a Jedi; you're a Sith-"

"Forget who the world sees me as-!"

"I can't do that!"

"Please! You see who I really am, and you're the only one who ever has, who _ever_ can-!"

"Just because I see the real you doesn't mean I can accept her-!"

"You accepted me just fine a minute ago-!"

"I can't accept you if you love me the way I love you-"

They both froze, each coming to their own realizations.

And cursing themselves for what they had done to each other.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Force damn it-!"

"Calm yourself, Count Dooku. She is no loss to us."

"You don't understand, Lord Sidious-Ventress is weak, she will betray us-!"

"She is vulnerable, yes…but she will not betray us. She knows what awaits her if she does."

"She has an entire temple of Jedi protecting her-even we cannot overcome all of them, not even you and I together-sheer numbers would fatigue us, and-"

"Have faith, Lord Tyranus. I will get her back…as the Chancellor. Young Skywalker will not be able to resist such a request from such a pitiful old man as the Chancellor."

"Has he the power?"

"If he doesn't, I will give it to him."

"And me, my lord?"

"General, prepare your troops. You and Count Dooku will personally retrieve Ventress."

"Both of us, my lord?"

"Yes, Lord Tyranus. She will not resist you both. I can sense her in the dark side-she is being pulled from the current. We must take her back."

"But how, Lord Sidious-?"

"Punish her. Make her hate herself for ever betraying us. Make her suffer for even allowing herself to be captured in the first place. Error is not tolerated within the Sith. Make a nice public show of how much you are glad to have her back-and then make her hate you. She is a slave to us-remind her exactly of that!"

A bow, and the hologram disappeared.

Dooku sighed roughly, glancing up at the mostly-droid-one-eighth-sentient being next to him. Grievous stared back at him placidly through yellow reptilian eyes. "What would you have me do, my lord?"

"Gather the ransom," Dooku said shortly. "And ready an escort of your best troops. Asajj Ventress will be delivered directly to my hand. We will come back here, and then, you will leave. You are to ask no questions, you are to depart from here directly to where I will tell you to go. My master is working on a plan; as soon as he tells me, I will tell you. You are to do everything I say, exactly as I say it, or you two will both share a fate, have I made myself clear?"

"Perfectly."

"Then go."

Grievous clanked out of the room, leaving Dooku alone to brood on this. He really didn't want Ventress back-she had served her purpose, and why go through all the trouble to save her? Even Sidious had to know, you couldn't save someone who didn't want to be saved. And if Ventress was leaving the dark side, well-! That should tell you something right there! The only way Ventress would ever leave the dark side was if she chose to. No one could ever force her away from the dark. It was simply impossible! They should just kill her and spare themselves the trouble. Dooku shook his head, and then followed Grievous out of the room. He needed time to think.

OOOOOOOOO

"Master Ti?"

"She's just confused. I say give her a few days, and then try to get something out of her. The less trauma, the less clouded her mind will be, and the better chance we have of reaching her through rationality and the Force. Fear blinds her-she cannot be reached now."

"Master Fisto?"

"Sic Obi-Wan on her. She'll be squealing in no time."

Mace's eyebrows furrowed at this statement from Kit. "Explain, please?" he said slowly.

"While we were on the ship with her, Ventress was just…she was freaking out," Kit said, shaking his head. "So, Obi-Wan said he would talk to her, and about the second he reached her…I don't know, it was just this weird sensation in the Force. Master Luminara felt it, too: she said it felt like all the tension just drained out of Ventress's body, and she just completely calmed down. Her words are perfect for the emotions I felt through the Force: Ventress had calmed down, and considerably so."

"Are you saying she trusts Obi-Wan?" Plo Koon asked, setting his elbow on the arm of his chair. The side of his head met his curled-over fingers, and he stared blankly at the rest of the Council present.

"I would think so," Stass Allie said softly, glancing around the circle. "I was going to inform Obi-Wan of the Council meeting, but Ventress was being slightly less than charming. I was about to go find Obi-Wan when he showed up at my door. The second she saw him, this little shiver came off her, almost like she was happy to see him."

Mace's gaze swiveled to Yoda. "Well, Master Yoda?" he asked. "Your take on this?"

A small, gravelly hum of thought emitted from Yoda's throat. "Trust Obi-Wan, it seems Ventress does," he said slowly. "Take advantage of this trust she places in him, we must, for whatever reason. If bonded with Master Kenobi she has, trouble, there will be."

Shaak Ti nodded. "I passed Master Kenobi in the hallways earlier today," she said. "He had a lot on his mind, I could tell. His footsteps were so off-rhythm for him…it was slightly disturbing."

Pablo-Jill blinked once at Shaak Ti. "You observed his foot patterns, above all else?" he said skeptically.

Shaak Ti shrugged. "My montrals," she said, "pick up more of that sort of thing than anything else. Also, his heartbeat was a little fast, his blood pressure was the same, though, but his breathing was a bit out of synch, and his footfalls were heavier." Ten pairs of eyes were suddenly on her. Shaak Ti shrugged slightly, drawing herself closer together. "He's usually a light, graceful mover," she muttered. "Today, he looked like he would trip if I disturbed the mere air around him."

"So he's noticed it, too," Mace sighed. "Well, I think we've all reached an equal verdict here: we need to use Ventress's trust in Obi-Wan against her. Any objections?"

None.

Yoda shook his head sadly as the Council filed out of the chamber. _What have we fallen to, hm? To resort to such trickery, a Jedi must not. But, unfortunately, fear we have no other choice, I do._

**A/N: I think this is my favorite chapter so far. Review, please.**


	5. Chapter 5

Mace was getting really tired of this.

The Chancellor had simply insisted that the Jedi make a statement in regards to the capture of Ventress, and the ransom Dooku had offered so quickly. And, of course, Mace Windu had been the one sentenced to face the relentless crowds of reporters who wouldn't live until tomorrow unless they got some sort of conference.

"Alright, next question!"

Dozens of aliens were suddenly raising their hands, eager for attention. Mace pointed out a female Twi'lek sitting in the middle of the first row. "Yes?"

"Rumor has it that Ventress has killed many, many Jedi before. Will you be punishing her for this in any way?"

"Of course not," Mace said angrily, his nostrils flaring in his attempt to control his temper. "We are Jedi, keepers of the peace: we do not resort to such atrocities as torture or revenge. Next question." A male Zabrak in the back was chosen.

"What do you make of Dooku's eagerness to regain Ventress?"

"Next question."

A female Zabrak in the middle of the crowd.

"Rumors have been circulating that Dooku is holding several Jedi of his own. Are these rumors true?"

"We investigated each and every disappearance of our own," Mace said tiredly, "and we are still working on the cases involving Dooku. Next question."

Out of the clamor, a Bith.

"General Grievous has threatened to march on the Temple if Ventress is not returned to the Separatists in due time. What do you make of this?"

"The ravings of a lunatic. Next!"

"Jedi Master Coleman Kcaj was on the scene when Ventress first arrived, as were several other members of the Council. Can we get a statement from one of them?"

"I'm still here."

"We were hoping for a few different eyewitness viewpoints."

Mace sighed, and stepped back to where Shaak Ti, Chancellor Palpatine, Yoda, and Agen Kolar were waiting. "Yeah, I can't do this," he muttered. "Sorry, Chancellor, but someone else is going to have to take over from here."

Palpatine hardly seemed surprised. "Well, Master Ti?" he asked. "You're incredible with placating crowds-if you please…?"

Shaak Ti barely sighed, but Mace caught it through the Force. She marched up to the podium where Mace had just been standing, and gestured vaguely at the edges of the seats. The male Zabrak in the first row took that as his cue. "The Count has just let it leak to the Holonet that if Ventress has returned to him tomorrow, he will release all of the Jedi he holds hostage!"

Shaak Ti froze. She wasn't sure what to make of this statement. "How do you know this?" she asked, stunned that someone would be so bold. How was this alien getting feed from the Holonet when he was sitting here, right in front of her? Or had this happened hours ago, and they just didn't catch the broadcast-?

"The broadcast was just made minutes ago; I am listening to it right now-!"

Shaak Ti felt her heart suddenly fly into her throat. She swallowed it down again, and tried to remain calm. "I cannot comment on that area of the situation," she said, sounding slightly faint with the shock. She didn't dare turn around to see what the rest of the Jedi were making of this; she didn't have to. She was sure they were as shocked as she was. She pointed out a male Togruta in the middle of the crowd.

"As Ventress attempted an escape yet?"

_Heh. Yet. I can see why, though. _"No, not yet."

And the questions kept coming. "What was it like when you first saw Ventress where she belongs?"

"Next question. That one doesn't make sense."

"As a Council member, you are privy to just about everything that goes on in the Order. Can you tell us when the next Separatist-Republic clash will be?"

"When we hand over Ventress and Dooku shows up with fake money."

"Have you dealt with Ventress personally either before and during this?"

"Thankfully, no. She's a ticking time bomb."

"I have two questions. First, what is your personal view of Master Kenobi's actions?"

"He acted like a true Jedi, and I stand by his actions one hundred percent. Your other question?"

"Will you sign my arm?"

"Ew. No."

"Where is the exchange taking place?"

"Next question!"

Agen came up behind Shaak Ti, getting her attention with a hand to her shoulder. Shaak Ti turned slightly, relieved that someone else was taking over. "Time to split," he whispered. "We're getting a transmission of the Holonet from Palpatine's guards, and if any of them are listening, it's going to get messy."

"How messy?"

"Like, Dooku is showing holograms of all the Jedi Grievous captured for him messy."

"Oh, that's bad." Shaak Ti turned to address the masses once again, announcing, "Alright, that's it for today. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!"

Shaak Ti practically sprinted off the scene.

Mace met her at the entrance to the room. "Hey, that was genius," he said, shaking his head. "Mixing the truth with a little humor. Perfect. Now, we need to get live feed of the Holonet broadcasts. If Dooku is making a move, we need to know about it first!"

Shaak Ti nodded once, and she and Mace took off for the Temple.

OOOOOOOOOO

She couldn't control it.

He couldn't control it.

She was spiraling up.

He was spiraling down.

She was unaware of the fate that awaited her.

He knew full well what loving her meant.

Ventress finally gave in. She slunk closed to Obi-Wan, sitting down against his side, curling up, and putting his head down on his shoulder. Obi-Wan wasn't entirely sure what to do; she just sat there, rather dejectedly, hands still in his, just enjoying his presence. Now that they had admitted it to themselves and each other, it seemed so much better. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders. But, a new one would soon take its place. Now came the hiding phase. And Obi-Wan' wasn't sure which he would rather take: denial, and life apart, or very infrequent, secret meetings that he doubted could last longer than fifteen minutes at a time. Obi-Wan heaved in a deep breath; Ventress felt his shoulders rise and fall, and glanced up at him.

"What?" she said softly, barely moving.

"No, just…just thinking."

Ventress smiled softly. "I don't like to think when I'm under pressure. It just makes it so much worse, because you're trying to do everything at once. I just let my instincts take over, because even if it doesn't work, I'm almost guaranteed to live."

Obi-Wan shrugged slightly; only one shoulder moved, due to the extra fifteen pounds on his opposite shoulder. "I guess that's one way of seeing it," he said slowly. "But, you do know we are going to have do something about this?"

"It's either denial, or hiding it. Pick one."

"That's actually what I was just thinking about."

A whisper in the Force warned them; Stass Allie was coming back. As the doors to the apartment cycled open, Ventress shot away from Obi-Wan, situating herself on the far end of the couch. Obi-Wan scooted away from her just as Allie walked in; the two had kept talking, mostly about nonsense, to make it seem like Allie had walked in on a conversation.

"Master Allie," Obi-Wan greeted pleasantly. "You're back!"

"Council meeting," Allie said. "And before you get mad at me for not telling you, I couldn't. You're the only who can keep her under control."

Ventress blinked once. "Excuse me?" she said incredulously. "I am not some dumb animal who is being contained for rabies quarantine, I am _not _for controlling-!"

"She means keep you from destroying the entire temple with whatever you can find here," Obi-Wan said tiredly. "And even you must admit, it's a fairly valid concern."

"I can make a bomb of corn, flour, water, and a jar."

"Case in point!"

Ventress flashed Allie a devilish smirk. "So," she said pleasantly, "the meeting. Are you gonna let me have a last meal before I get shot on the roof?"

"You aren't dying," Allie said with a tired sigh. Obi-Wan could sense her discomfort as she responded. "We are making contact with Dooku to discuss where we will make the trade."

"Somewhere public, so you can't pull a fast one on me."

"Ah, hey! We're not Sith!"

"But you would!"

"Well maybe Kit would, but no one else would!"

Obi-Wan stood up, and turned to Allie. "A word?" Allie nodded, and the two took several steps away from Ventress. The Rattataki female returned to her earlier position of staring out the window and brooding, and Obi-Wan could practically hear the thunder rumbling on the horizon. "So, what can't you tell me in front of her?"

"Besides everything?" Allie snorted. "Okay, until Dooku can make a date for us to transfer her and the money, we want you to kind of…try to weasel information out of her. Obviously, she responds to you: she might tell you something."

Obi-Wan sighed slowly. He hated to do this to Ventress; he really did. But it wouldn't be easy to just lie and say she didn't want to talk…oh, well. He would have to put some thought into this. "Alright," he whispered. "I'll see what I can do."

"Hey, check this out!"

Ventress's voice cut through Obi-Wan and Allie's conversation. Both Jedi turned around to see Ventress holding a small Holo-projector, watching as the news played out. "How did she manage to get a hold of that?" Allie hissed. Obi-Wan shrugged.

"Guess she had it on her when we brought her in."

"Impossible. I searched her, and stripped her of all forty-some knives and all communications devices. Is it yours?"

Obi-Wan stopped, staring at the palm-sized projector. "It might very well be."

"Hey, shut up! It's about me!"

Now, she had their attention. Obi-Wan dismissed Ventress's disrespectful words, rushing over to the couch where she was sitting and practically falling down next to her. Ventress shifted so she was sitting straight on the couch, and then Allie sat down on the other side. A hushed silence fell over the room as the news broadcast paused; then, it returned again.

"This footage, which the Separatists released minutes ago was taken several hours previously, and shows the Separatist commander himself, General Grievous, bringing in another Jedi prisoner. Clearly, these Jedi have given up. But, Dooku has just reintroduced hope to them, by offering the Jedi on Coruscant all of these nine Jedi in exchange for Ventress's recovery by standard noon tomorrow! We are still awaiting contact from the Jedi in response to the Count's offer. In other news, Grievous has struck a crippling blow against the Republic by striking at Hoth, which held a key military base-"

Ventress switched off the projector, sighing as she handed it to Obi-Wan. "This is yours."

Obi-Wan stared at her incredulously. "How did you-?"

"While you were sitting here, I kinda snatched it from you…"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "And me, thinking there might just be a shred of good left in you…"

Ventress gave him an impish grin, and a wink. Allie didn't see; she was sitting right behind Ventress, so all she saw was the tattooed back of the Rattataki's head. Obi-Wan shook his head, but Ventress could see the smile playing at his lips. "So, why does he want me back anyway?" Ventress asked, pulling her feet up to rest of the edge of the couch. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and then rested her arms across her knees. She leaned forward, placing her chin atop her forearms. "Any idea whatsoever?"

"None," Obi-Wan said. "Unless, Allie, you found out something at the Council meeting?"

Allie shook her head. "No," she said. "This is all completely new. I think he's concerned you'll spill."

Ventress snickered, as if mocking the notion. "Please," she said. "The day I spill information to _Jedi _will be the day Grievous leaves flowers on a grave."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Allie asked, trying to remain calm, despite the barb that Ventress had expertly slid underneath her skin.

"You don't torture. You'll never get anything out of me."

Allie outright laughed at this. "We just do it humanely," she promised, patting Ventress's shoulder in a mockingly affectionate manner. She stood up, and moved towards the kitchen. "I'm getting something to drink. You want anything?"

"No, thank you," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head.

"Something insanely strong," Ventress muttered. "Something so strong that I won't even be conscious after I chug it."

"If you get drunk, I swear-" Obi-Wan was cut off by Ventress's less-than-wonderful response.

"It'll be on your head. You let me have it."

"I was going to say you might be easier to deal with."

Ventress's glare could through stone, she swore. But somehow, it couldn't cut the mere clouds that were Obi-Wan's eyes. She was subdued in a moment.

Obi-Wan sighed softly, standing up and glancing at Ventress. "Just behave?" he whispered to her. "For me?"

Ventress smiled slightly. "Only for you," she whispered in return. Obi-Wan smiled for real this time, and looked over his shoulder. Allie was standing in the kitchen area with her back to them, getting the drinks, and so, Obi-Wan decided to risk it. He leaned down, sliding his hand under Ventress's chin and lifting her face to his.

Their lips met.

The kiss was barely there, as they weren't daring to risk it by going further with Allie barely ten feet away. But still, it was a kiss, and Ventress felt like melting into a puddle of goo right then and there. Obi-Wan could feel the tingle where he had touched her, and gave her a soft smile as he left the apartment. Ventress was completely dazed, having been transported to her own personal heaven. If that was any hint of how he really kissed, well! She might just have to get him alone!

"Hey, you okay?"

Ventress snapped out of her daydream, glancing over at Allie and accepting a tall glass from the Jedi. "Yeah," she said slowly. "Just thinking…"

"Don't hurt yourself."

Ventress considered throwing the glass back at Allie, but then decided against it. She wasn't losing whatever alcohol was in there. She threw the entire glass back with barely two swallows, feeling the incessant burn of alcohol as it raced into her system. "Damn, you know how to knock me out," she said, leaning back and closing her eyes. "Well, give me five minutes and I'm out. Where am I sleeping?"

"Right here, on this couch."

"Good, because sleep will come in four minutes exactly."

**A/N: And you know it would happen. XD Okay, maybe not, but I decided to have a little fun with this chapter. I might edit it later, but for now…I figured we could all use a little bit of a break from the horrors of-zOMG!-ROMANCE!! Review, please. :D**


	6. Chapter 6

"...and so, I am prepared to offer you the sum of one million republic credits plus these nine Jedi in my custody as of right now, if-and only if-Ventress is safely returned to me, completely unharmed both physically and emotionally, by tomorrow at noon."

Mace glanced over at Yoda from the corners of his eyes. The grizzled little alien simply closed his eyes and grunted slightly. "Needs no thought, this decision does," he responded. "Too many Jedi have we lost. Accept your offer, we do, Count Dooku. Where would you like us to meet?"

"On the front steps of the Jedi Temple," the hologram of Dooku replied smoothly. "General Grievous will be my escort to this affair. I expect it to be kept relatively quiet. I understand that it is impossible to keep everyone away, but do please make the effort."

"Make the effort, we will," Yoda said, ears twitching. "But do the same, you must, as well."

"Of course," Dooku said in return. "I thank you for your cooperation. Ladies; gentlemen." And the connection was severed.

Obi-Wan slowly exhaled through his palms, dragging his hands back away from his face before leaning forward and setting his elbows on his knees. "Well?" he said slowly. "He sounded pretty sincere to me. I say we go for it."

Shaak Ti's expression was less than persuaded. "I can't say why," she murmured, "but I have a bad feeling about Dooku bringing along an escort. I mean, really? It's like he expects it to be a hostile encounter. He displays no trust in us."

"With a good reason," Saesee Tinn pointed out. "We are his enemies."

"But, as Master Ti said, showing up with an entourage does indicate the thinking of a hostile encounter," Mace Windu said, glancing around the circle of Jedi Masters in the Council Chamber. "I don't like the looks of it. Do you think he'll try something?"

Plo Koon shook his head. "Dooku might be daring, but he's not stupid. Even he, as powerful a Sith lord as he is, cannot defeat more than ten Jedi at a time. And he can only bring so many droids. Which are fairly useless anyway."

"Unless used en masse," Ki-Adi-Mundi dryly pointed out. "In which case, we would be slaughtered."

"Caught unawares, yes," Shaak Ti returned. "But there is the matter of Ventress, as well. Obi-Wan, what has she been like these past few days?'

"Cranky. That's all I really need to tell you."

Shaak Ti felt a smile tug at her lips, but carefully repressed it. "Understandable," she said, "however inexcusable. Anything we should know about?"

"Strangely docile," Obi-Wan said, brow furrowing. "I don't get it. She just sits there and broods."

"Let's not look a gift kybuck in the mouth," Ki-Adi said. "As long as she can keep herself under control for another eighteen hours or so, we'll live happily ever after."

"The steps of the Temple," Obi-Wan mused. "An odd location, to say the least. So public. And yet, he says he wants to keep this relatively quiet. What game is he playing?"

Mace Windu shrugged hopelessly. "Our only thing to do now is to just keep Ventress under control for a little while longer, and then just go along with it. I'll meditate on this, and see if I can sense anything within the Force. Until tomorrow at eleven-thirty, we are adjourned."

The Council stood up and left immediately, each heading for their respective destinations. Obi-Wan, however, headed for Stass Allie's room. He needed to brief her on the Council meeting she had missed; and, he wanted to see Ventress again. He could sense her in the Force: nothing more than a small ripple, the product of the Force-suppressing drugs she had been administered. She could still access the Force, she just couldn't manipulate it. Obi-Wan knocked on the door, and it cycled open almost immediately. Stass Allie stood in the doorway, looking slightly annoyed.

"She's being quite a little jerk," she grumbled. "So, what did I miss?'

As soon as Allie stepped aside, Obi-Wan walked into the room. "Dooku finally made contact," Obi-Wan said as Allie let the doors shut again. He could sense Ventress suddenly perk up in the Force, listening intently to his words. He smiled softly as her signature picked up even more-she had realized who he was. "He just reiterated everything he told the press; he's offering a million credits and the nine Jedi he claims he has in his custody. Noon tomorrow is the date; he's meeting us on the steps of the Temple."

"Wow," Allie said, proceeding Obi-Wan into the room. Ventress had just stood up, and was approaching them with some unreadable expression in her eyes.

"Master Kenobi," she greeted smoothly. "Came back for me, mm?"

"Couldn't stay away, my darling," Obi-Wan returned, just as smoothly. Ventress snickered at the comment, and Obi-Wan was impressed with her ability to put on an annoyed face. He was not, however, impressed with her ability to mask her emotions in the Force. She was about as easy to read as an open data pad. He gave her a small, taunting smile, and he simply returned it.

"So, what's all this chatter about my master actually stooping to such a level as to make deals with you?" she sneered, glaring at Obi-Wan. The Jedi simply smiled more, and Ventress couldn't help but wonder if he really was enjoying tormenting her.

"Anxious to get out?" Obi-Wan said evenly, resulting in a glare from Ventress.

"As if you didn't already know the answer."

Allie snorted with laughter. "Don't worry, you're outta here tomorrow afternoon if all goes well," she said. "So just keep yourself under control until tomorrow afternoon." She turned to Obi-Wan, and asked, "Anything else I should know?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Nothing too important," he said. "Master Windu is meditating on this, to look for deceptions. But that's really all."

Allie shrugged. "Well, thank you," she said. "I'll meet you in the Council chamber half an hour beforehand?"

"That's the plan."

"See you there."

Ventress looked like she was about to make some comment, but then decided against it. She simply excused herself to the bathroom, and left. Obi-Wan flashed Allie an apologetic look, and then left, as well. But not before he sent Ventress a message along the Force: _Until tomorrow, my dear._

Ventress was slightly taken aback; why would Obi-Wan risk it, talking to her? Anyone could easily catch their message. Still, she replied: _can't wait. _There was a slightly sarcastic edge, but Ventress and Obi-Wan both knew it was just part of her charm. Ventress sighed, looking at herself in the mirror. Her makeup, after being wiped off on day one, had never been recovered. Well, Allie wouldn't mind if she borrowed a little, would she? Ventress opened the cabinet above the toilet and began looking for war paint and eye liner. No one would miss it.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Dooku stood up as the ship landed, albeit rather bumpily. Temple runways weren't the best, not now, not before, and probably not after. Dooku almost lost his balance, but used the Force to keep himself upright. Grievous anchored himself to the floor with magnets in his feet; the pilot apologized for the rough landing, but Dooku waved him off. Stupid, cowardly Neimodian. He simply walked to the rear of the ship, and waited for the ramp to be lowered. Grievous clanked up behind him, a single Jedi in one of his clawed hands. Adi Gallia…he should have killed her. She was more trouble than she was worth, and she had almost cost Dooku an entire system, in addition to the rest of his Jedi captives. He was about ready to have Grievous put a bullet through her head when he got wind of Ventress's plight. And even now, after Grievous had beaten some sense into her and then used her to try to obtain information about the Council, she was still fighting.

"Don't say a word," Dooku growled, "or your life is over. I have more like you; you are worth nothing in my book."

Surprisingly, the female quieted, but not without an ample amount of glaring. The ramp opened with a hiss, and Dooku led the way down, flanked by two battle droids and backed by Grievous. He could see several Jedi gathered on the steps of the Temple not a hundred yards away from the runway; fools. They thought they could intimidate him with their numbers, hm? Ah, yes, there was Mace Windu, Yoda, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Plo Koon, and even a few new faces. Obi-Wan Kenobi, yes, Dooku remembered him quite vividly. His former Padawan's Padawan. Shaak Ti, she was new. Always had promise, though. Coleman Kcaj, he was new, as well. Stass Allie…hm, he had never really paid much attention to her back when he was in the Order. She was a mere Youngling back then, though. But what drew his attention now was the fact that she was the one who was holding Ventress: she held both of the Sith woman's bound arms in her hands, and she stood right in front of the entire assembly. Mace Windu seemed to be in charge of the exchange; he stepped forward as Dooku neared.

"Count Dooku," he said shortly, by way of greeting. The Count gave him a vicious grin.

"Master Windu."

"Enough with the fooling around," Mace said roughly. "Where are the rest of the Jedi?"

"They're here!" Adi Gallia called from behind Dooku. "He's just too-"

She was cut off by a rough backhand by Grievous, which knocked her flat off her feet. Mace rushed forward, lightsaber ablaze, menacing Grievous back. "The rest of the Jedi," he demanded, standing protectively over Adi. "Now."

Grievous gave him a glare, which was actually possible given his sentient eyes (although not much else,) and he simply walked away, back to the ship. Mace stepped back, returning his lightsaber to his belt and unclipping the binders around Adi's wrists. He helped the female Jedi to her feet, and then walked with her back to the group. Shaak Ti immediately came forward, greeting her old friend with a warm embrace and kind words. Soothing energies flowed through the Force, and Mace silently thanked her for it. Everyone's nerves were frayed enough already.

One by one, Grievous released the Jedi. Obi-Wan, as well as everyone else in the vicinity, could sense Ventress's nerves growing more and more electrified as she waited, watching as the Jedi returned to their comrades. She knew none of them; she didn't think it mattered. But Ventress knew one thing, and that was that she was, quite possibly, about to be pulled out of the pot and put into the fryer. Dooku was likely to kill her for her repeated failure, and now, what with her capture, he wasn't going to be happy with her. And if she survived, she was probably going to be in bacta for weeks healing. As if sensing her nerves, Obi-Wan sent her a message through the Force: _calm down. It'll be okay._

_No, it won't, _Ventress replied bitterly. _He'll kill me!_

_Will he? Or are you just saying that because you'll be so close to death you won't be able to tell the difference?_

_I don't even know…he might keep me around to do more of his dirty work, but he might decide I'm not worth it anymore._

_You'll be fine, I promise. Why would he go through so much trouble to get you back without a scratch on you if all he wanted to do was kill you?_

Ventress would grudgingly admit that Obi-Wan was right. Damn it, why did he have to be right?! Finally, the last of the nine Jedi had been released, and Grievous was looking ready to go for his sabers and blasters alike. Dooku handed over the credits, and everyone waited with bated breath as Mace examined the money, checking for counterfeits. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Ventress, he turned around, and nodded to Allie. Ventress breathed a sigh of relief; over one hurdle. But it was only the first of many, she knew. She walked over to Dooku as calmly as she could, knowing she was alone as she did so. Allie had simply taken of the binders, and let her go. That they would trust her was amazing to Ventress. But still, she didn't risk a backwards glance; she simply moved forward, to meet Dooku.

His face was like stone as she met him in the middle of the steps; his body looked like it was shaking with anger as he moved. Ventress whispered an apology to him, bowing her head and trying not to meet what she knew would be a furious gaze. Dooku simply told her to get on board the ship. Ventress obeyed hastily, not wanting to try Dooku's patience. Grievous followed her, his awkward metal feet clanging on the ground as he walked. Ventress walked up the ramp of the ship, turning right to go into the cockpit. Grievous, however, had other ideas.

"To the back," he said. "Now."

Ventress turned around and glared but, seeing as she was the one without lightsabers, chose to listen to the cyborg. She turned around and moved towards the back of the ship, hearing Dooku board and the ramp hiss shut. He was following them back, she realized, hearing the soft footsteps behind her underneath Grievous's heavy ones. Grievous stopped suddenly, and Ventress stopped as well. She turned around to see Dooku shouldering his way past Grievous, and she realized too late that he held an ignited lightsaber in his hand.

"You have failed me for the last time, Ventress."

A sudden panic overtook Ventress as she realized what Dooku meant by the statement. "No!" she cried. "It wasn't my fault! Don't hold this against me, don't!"

Dooku's face betrayed nothing; it was like he hadn't even heard her voice. Grievous reached out with one foot, slamming into Ventress's shoulder and kicking her back against the wall of the ship. "Give up, Ventress," he hissed, a malicious edge to his voice. "You've lost!"

Ventress didn't even try to fight back. She knew sh was going to die, but she knew as well that she needed to hear his voice one last time.

_Good-bye, Obi-Wan. I hope this doesn't mean anything to you, because the chances are, I won't ever see you again._

**A/N: No, she's not going to die. Then there wouldn't be a fanfiction. :D But, you're going to have to review to see what DOES happen!!**


	7. Chapter 7

Ventress raised her hands, expecting the next strike and hoping to ward it off. Dooku and Grievous, however, weren't happy with the fact that she refused to die. Dooku, particularly, was not amused when Ventress grabbed his foot and twisted his ankle when he tried to kick her. Hissing with the pain, anger flaring up within him, he staggered over to the wall next to him and leaned against it, using a quick scan with the Force to assess the damage.

"You tore the ligaments!"

Ventress said nothing; she simply retreated into the corner, hissing and spitting like a cat that was frightened of some outside threat, and was trying to mask its fear with aggression. Grievous took a step towards her-which, in Grievous's terms, equaled two or three human steps. He planted himself right in front of Ventress, leering down at her with his golden eyes.

"I'm going to heal this," Dooku growled. "And you, miss, will stay put."

"My lord," Grievous rasped, "if I may-?"

"Do whatever the hell you want with her, General, I do not care," Dooku said dismissively, testing the foot by hesitantly putting some weight on it. "Just don't let her get more than arm's length away from you."

With that last, cranky order, Dooku then proceeded to limp away, his attempts to walk almost comical. Ventress would have laughed, if not for the circumstances. He leaned heavily on the wall for support, limping so badly Ventress thought his entire leg had been shot out from under him. As soon as he turned the corner, Grievous's gaze swiveled back to her. Ventress matched his gaze, wrapping her arms around her waist and trying to use the Force to heal herself as much as possible. It wasn't easy; there were still residual traces of the Jedi's Force-suppressing drugs in her system. They inhibited her now, disrupting what little control of the Force she had left. And Grievous wasn't letting up.

Ventress found her left leg suddenly trapped in the cyborg's clawed feet; she felt the fear flicker into her eyes a moment later, and knew then it was too late to try to hide it. Grievous pulled her closer; Ventress fell back onto her elbows, caught off guard by the sudden motion. Grievous's harsh, grating laugh echoed throughout the entire corridor, and Ventress knew in a heartbeat she was about to die. As slowly and painfully as sentient being could die.

Grievous's claw tightened considerably around her leg, effectively crushing the bone and tearing through the muscle. Ventress cried out in pain, her eyes closing and fighting tears. Warm blood spilled out onto her leg; it stained her skin and clothes alike, soaking through her boot and emerging on Grievous's foot as he pulled it back. Ventress rolled onto her stomach, trying to force her knees beneath her. Maybe, if she was lucky, she could use her good leg to push herself forward, between his legs and out from underneath him-

As if on cue, Grievous seized her again, this time her upper right arm falling victim to his steeled claws. There was considerably less blood, but no less pain. Grievous drew back his other hand, dealing Ventress a stunning blow to the gut and knocking her back into the wall. The mere force of the blow dented the walls of the space craft, and Ventress could feel the entire thing shudder as it strove to take off.

And now, there was no one left to save her.

Ventress slumped down against the wall, dazed and seeing red from the repeated blows. Stars danced in front of her eyes, their twinkling brilliance and ironic contrast to her bleak future. The sound of a lightsaber igniting alerted her to what else was to come; _thank the Force. He's putting me out of my misery. I'm so sorry, Obi-Wan. I know this is exactly what you wanted to prevent, but-_

The smell of burning flesh preceded the stinging agony of the burns placed on Ventress's arms, and the Rattataki cried out once again. Grievous kicked her firmly in the chest, seeking to collapse her lungs. "There's no one here," he hissed. "So why do you still scream? It's over, Asajj Ventress! Just give up! Hate Dooku for what he did to you! He betrayed you!"

Somehow, the words registered in the thick fog that encompassed Ventress's mind. She strove the commit the concept to memory, but her damaged body won the fight. She slipped into unconsciousness, and the last thing she remembered was hitting the floor.

OOOOOOOOO

Pain. Like her entire body was on fire.

Ventress bit her lip so hard it bled. The blood trickling down her lip was from her other internal injuries, she knew. A terrible cough wracked her prone form; her lungs were failing. More blood erupted from her mouth, the product of internal bleeding. Ventress let a small tear slip free; why was she still alive?

Her eyesight was clearing; that was the good news. The bad news was, she still had no idea where she was. Gray enveloped her on all sides; just gray bricks, and gray metallic chains. She found that her arms were restrained with the same, as were her legs. When she tried to move, nothing but pain followed; courtesy of the many broken bones she had sustained. Ventress felt a small whimper escape her lips, and closed her eyes in shame. She had gone through worse than this, hadn't she? Come to think of it…no. Ventress found herself hard-pressed to think of an incident that even rivaled this one, and simply decided to give up. She was going to die; bottom line.

But when?

When would they tire of playing with her, and simply end it? When would Dooku finally give up, and just put her out of her misery? Ventress had to admit, she no longer feared death: Obi-Wan's word and the current pain nullified her every previous fear, instead replacing it with nothing but a cold, hard, urge to alleviate this seemingly endless pain.

Obi-Wan…oh, she couldn't do this to him, could she? Not when they had just realized what they felt for each other! To love, and then to lose so soon…it was a cruelty the world just seemed to want to give her. Ventress sighed softly, trying to see if she could feel the Force at all. Of course not; the Sith were much more cruel than the Jedi. Her arms had been bound above her head, her feet had been chained to the floor, her entire body was incapable of movement, she couldn't even feel the Force within her-Ventress was in bad shape. Not to mention he still-bleeding wounds all over her body.

Ventress almost cried when she heard the door open.

Relief cascaded through her system. Finally, someone who would end this madness! But she could hear no footsteps coming closer, nothing to tell her who this mystery visitor was. There wasn't the ominous clanging of Grievous's metal appendages; there wasn't the comforting rhythm of Dooku's soft-soled boots. There was merely a whisper of silk, and then, a cool hand touched her face.

Ventress's icy blue eyes flashed open, capturing sickly yellow ones in her gaze. The rest of the dark lord's face was hidden beneath an ebony cowl that flowed into a cloak made from the shadows themselves. All she could see were his eyes-yellow, fiery yellow, ringed by piercing red and bleeding that same crimson into his irises. Ventress couldn't look away-she suddenly knew who was before her.

Her entire body trembled with the realization. She was relieved as well, though: he would help her, she knew! He could see what was really going on-couldn't he? "My lord," Ventress gasped, "Please…"

Reduced to begging. Ventress cursed herself for it, but somehow couldn't stop the tears that sprung to her eyes, nor the words that came from her mouth. "Lord Sidious, please, forgive my appearance, but the General-"

"I am aware of what the General has done."

Ventress stopped cold as that icy, flat voice permeated her thoughts. It seemed to drift into her head, filling her mind, polluting every corner, and then, just as she thought its welcoming embrace was short at hand-

He crushed her.

Ventress cried out at the mental attack, feeling her shielding crumple. Barriers that were far too weak to begin with came crashing down, and Sidious invaded her fully. He took her mind and poisoned it beyond all compare, beyond all recognition: he scarred her happiest memories, taking every one of them and twisting them into something dark and disgusting. Ventress took her memories of Obi-Wan and hid them, hid them deep within herself-but even that wasn't enough to stop the dark lord. Ventress retreated, deep within herself, clutching the memories like a little child clutches its mother's hand. But still, she couldn't hide. Sidious found her, and tore the memories from her ever-weakening grip, rifling through them and then crushing them underfoot.

In the waking world, Ventress couldn't even begin to control herself.

"Stop!" she cried, struggling with numbed hands against the chains that bound her. "Stop, please! I loved him! _I loved him!!"_

Darth Sidious paid no heed to her pleas. He took her most precious memory, tore it into pieces, and threw it back in her face. Her memory of finding Obi-Wan's mutual love was now of him firmly rejecting her, pushing her away and claiming he could never even begin to love "some abomination like her."

As soon as Sidious withdrew, Ventress gave herself over to her tears.

OOOOOOOOOO

Obi-Wan was struck with a pain so debilitating, he almost fell over.

As it was, he was stopped in his tracks, and had to struggle to maintain his balance as shockwave after shockwave of Force-transmitted pain hit him. The waves went right through him, reeking of the dark side's poison. Anakin, walking beside him, stopped as well, turning and bending over slightly to try to see his master's face. Obi-Wan was surprised to find himself doubled over with pain, and fought to maintain his composure. As it was, he felt like losing his lunch.

"Master?" Anakin asked, concern lacing his voice. "Are you alright?"

"Get me a Council member," he gasped, still fighting the pain. "And do it quickly!"

Anakin raced off at once to find someone from the Council, searching out the closest and strongest Force-presence he could. It was Shaak Ti he found not a minute later, barely two hallways away. She was instructing a class of Younglings on the basics of Makashi lightsaber combat. Anakin rushed over to the room he sensed her in, and banged on the door as loudly and insistently as he could. Shaak Ti's lightsaber hissed away, and she quietly excused herself to the door. She opened the door as soon as she could, worry etched into her face as she caught sight of Anakin.

"Anakin!" she said, sounding surprised. "What's wrong?"

"It's Master Obi-Wan," Anakin gasped. "Something happened, I don't know what, but he just stopped, and his presence in the Force got all fuzzy, and then started exploding. And then he collapsed, and told me to find a Council member-"

"I'll go. I sense him, now that's I'm looking for him. Class, Padawan Skywalker will keep an eye on you. Anakin, if you please?"

Anakin nodded once, knowing that arguing would only cost them more precious time. Shaak Ti raced away, heading for Obi-Wan's distressed Force-signature. She heard Anakin's voice as he addressed the class, introducing himself and promising to report any misbehavior to Shaak Ti. And then, the Togruta Jedi could hear no more. She rounded the corner, almost immediately happening upon Obi-Wan. He was sitting against the wall, breathing hard, clutching at his stomach, as if sick.

Shaak Ti dropped to her knees next to Obi-Wan, placing a hand on his shoulder and quickly searching through him for anything that would cause this. All she could see was that someone from outside was sending him this pain, as a plea for help-but who, and why? Shaak Ti severed the bond, and then sat back, waiting for Obi-Wan to regain his sanity.

Obi-Wan sat up, glancing around as he was dropped back into the real world. Beside him sat Shaak Ti, looking more than worried. Anakin was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Anakin?"

"Watching my class," Shaak Ti said dryly. "What was that about? Who was that?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. He knew who it was, but dared not say it. But, Shaak Ti needed an answer. He had to come up with something…something besides the harsh, bitter truth. Unfortunately, nothing he could come up with would work.

"Ask me again when I get back."

Obi-Wan stood up, then, and burst into a run. Shaak Ti, caught off guard, was left in the dust as Obi-Wan tapped into the Force to increase his speed. Shaak Ti gave a small huff of indignance.

"You're welcome."

OOOOOOOOOOO

Obi-Wan raced towards the aircraft hangar. She had called to him, in nothing but pure despair. She was dying, and she had been betrayed by everyone she had ever trusted. Except Obi-Wan. And by now, he was long out of reach. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since she had been released; she had no hope. What she didn't realize was that Obi-Wan knew exactly where she was. And it wasn't far. Obi-Wan leapt into the nearest fighter, making sure it was slightly covert and then jamming his thumb to the ignition. He backed out of the hangar, whipping around and took off into the sky, streaking away from Coruscant and making the jump to hyperspace almost immediately. Yavin 4: the Great Massassi Temple. They _would_ take her there, of all places. It was if they had known he would come. Festering, dank, uninhabitable, incessant, disgusting, rotting, backwater-soaked darkness all around, hatred in no short supply-even Yoda would be foolish to go there, and hope to win a battle to rescue a friend. He would need a full strike team! But, as Obi-Wan dropped out of hyperspace, he felt the presence of another Jedi-in his mind. Anakin had found him through their mental bond.

_Padawan, I warn you-_

_I don't need a warning, Master. Just give me your coordinates._

_What exactly are you planning, my foolish Padawan?_

_Well, Master Windu wanted to know where you were, just so he would know where to go if there was trouble._

Obi-Wan snickered slightly, taking care to hide the thought from Anakin. Oh, there would be trouble, alright. Especially when they found out who he was going after. _Just tell them I am replying to a call for help, _he said finally, after a long pause. _And tell them I'm at the Great Massassi temple on Yavin 4._

_THE MASSASI TEMPLE?!!!!_

_Not so loud, Anakin, you heard me correctly._

Obi-Wan felt Anakin severe the connection, and smiled softly to himself. He was glad that Anakin was worried about him, but he could do without the theatrics. He closed himself off firmly from anyone and everyone, save the one precious woman on the moon below. He masked his presence in the Force, but still tried to send her one last message as the cadences of her last breath reached him:

_Save one breath for me._

**A/N: Well, that came out better than I expected. Review, please!**


	8. Chapter 8

_They used to love, having so much to lose.  
Blink your eyes just once, and see everything in ruins._

Ventress had given up.

There was no more hope in her pale blue eyes; tears still streamed down her face. Her pale lips were slightly parted as she drew in shaky, painful breath after shaky, painful breath; her entire body shivered with the cold air of the temple and the cold nature of her tormentors. In, and out. In, and out. Breathing was a chore, at this point. Every ragged inhale tore her lungs apart; every exhale sent them spiraling into some sick fire. Ventress still wanted to believe, though: she wanted to believe that he had felt her pain, and was coming to save her. She wanted to believe that he had even heard her plea. She wanted to believe that he would simply wake her up, and this was all a terrible nightmare, and she could wake up again, safe in his arms, away from all harm-

But it was not so. Another dark lord entered, this one not as malevolent as the first, but still toxic to the very air. Ventress found herself cowering as his booted feet drummed ever closer, tapping out an eerie staccato beat. Ventress couldn't take it anymore; she was tortured every second by the knowledge of who had done this to her, and he at least owed her an explanation. But could she reach him?

"Why?"

Dooku stopped abruptly, crouching down by Ventress and frowning. "What?" he asked. Ventress swallowed the blood in her mouth and tried again. She had to reach that part of him that still saw her as his equal-or, as close to an equal as she could hope for. Yes, she took orders from him, but he treated her well. He had always held at least some base measure of respect for her-where was that Dooku now?

"Why?" she whispered again. "Why did you do it?"

Dooku paused, glancing at Ventress, and then back over his shoulder, and then back at Ventress. All the while, her tired blue eyes followed him, still waiting for an answer. She wanted to know so badly: and yet, she knew whatever the reason was, it would crush her all the same.

"I was told to."

And then, he was gone.

Ventress let her head fall back until the cold permacrete of the wall met her scalp. She couldn't stand it anymore. She just couldn't stand it! She had nothing left to live for, did she? She felt nothing but pain anymore. She couldn't even reach the one she loved to say good-bye. But, hey, maybe it was better this way. A clean break, no? That way, he wouldn't have to mourn over her last words for too long. But, deep in her mind, Ventress knew that Obi-Wan would dwell on whatever she had said, however she had said it, every instance they had together-anything to keep her memory alive. Ventress shuddered, sighing softly at the same time. As if on cue with the strike of fear that lanced her heart, the metallic beats of Grievous's approach signaled Ventress's fear to kick in. Adrenaline ran high in her system; fear coursed through her veins like her second blood.

And so, it began again.

_Jacob's ghost for the girl in white-  
__Blindfold for the blind-  
__Dead siblings walking the dying earth.  
__Noose around a choking heart;  
__Eternity torn apart;  
__Slow toll now: the funeral bells..._

OOOOOOOOOO

Obi-Wan could feel her within the Force: battered, beaten, broken, scarred. His Asajj, alone and without any hope, without anyone there to cling to, not even someone willing to spare her the time of day. She had always been alone: to thrust her back into that feeling of being completely abandoned was to torture her even more than any Force-illusion or lightsaber burn ever could. Obi-Wan had sworn to himself that he would never, ever love again: but here he was, loving this woman he really ought to be hating. It might just kill him. But still, he wanted to be there, right beside her, or even in her place, taking all the pain away-

But it was impossible.

Obi-Wan sighed as he switched off the engine, slumping forward over the control board. He wasn't thinking when he had grabbed the nearest fighter: it was only enough for one person. Well, he knew Anakin, at least, would come, and the chances were, he would bring an actual transport. He, at least, would have the advantage of clear thinking. And if worst came to worst, she could just sit in his lap. This wasn't as personal for Anakin, or for anyone else, for that matter. It was just Obi-Wan, and his raging emotions. He could sense her pain more acutely now than ever, now that he had landed: her pain, her fear, her sense of being betrayed simply emanated from the temple he had landed in front of. Without thinking, his hands went to the release for the cockpit's canopy. The glass slid back onto the hood of the star fighter, and Obi-Wan hoisted himself up and out of the cockpit. He left his astromech droid with strict instructions to send out a homing beacon to any and all Jedi frequencies. The little droid bleeped out an affirmative, and then Obi-Wan walked away. He pulled his cloak tighter around himself; this world simply reeked of the dark side.

He walked right up the front steps of the temple, boots tapping out a soft, steady rhythm on the permacrete that the steps were molded from. Obi-Wan could see the tiers of the temple rise into full view as he ascended the many stairs: it looked like an ancient ruin, almost like it wasn't real. It looked like something right out of a history textbook, like the ancient Mayan and Aztec ruins of some southern-hemisphere continent on a planet called Earth. Obi-Wan felt the forboding of the building slip in and around him, caressing every negative emotion he had ever felt and dragging it forth. Obi-Wan just poured it all out into the light side of the Force, not wanting to carry the emotions within him. As soon as he reached the massive, stone doors blocking the entrance to the temple, he simply waved them aside, slipping in through the front door and stealing down the main hallway, careful to mask his presence in the Force. He only sensed three other life-forms, besides Ventress: a half-sentient, half-droid being he knew could only be Grievous, and two other presences which were simply freezing in the currents of the Force. If the Force was a river, these two presences were turning it all to ice at the merest touch. Ventress's presence was a bare, erratic heartbeat: nothing more than fluttering, struggling heart. Grievous stood over her in his mind's eye, observing with gross satisfaction his handiwork. And then, he left her.

Obi-Wan was startled to see the cyborg general exit a room barely ten feet in front of him, and ducked behind one of the many pillars lining the walls. The entire main hallway of the Sith Temple was lined with pillars, each inscribed with relief art of a different battle-all of which the Sith had emerged victorious. Obi-Wan had to fight the urge to cry as he caught sight of the next one: Darth Maul versus Qui-Gon. They had, of course, conveniently left out his own battle with the Sith lord who had killed his mentor so many years ago. Obi-Wan sighed, realizing exactly what was happening.

The temple itself drew out every negative emotion, and amplified it.

The temple had been built as a Sith refuge, and thus helped them draw on their fear, their anger, and their sorrows, and then helped them use it against their enemies in a blind fury of rage and red. Obi-Wan would have to fight it if he wanted to be successful in this impromptu mission. This one wasn't going down in the records; that was a given statement. Chances were, Obi-Wan was going to be expelled from the Order for this one.

Obi-Wan flattened himself to the pillar as Grievous clanked by, the horrible wheezing in the general's lungs continuing as he moved. Well, his task had just been made impossibly easy by the fact that he knew where Ventress was imprisoned. The Force was dangerously poisoned here, and simply seethed in its own filth and darkness. Obi-Wan had to make this quick, he knew.

He stole up to the door Grievous had come out of, searching around for more Force-presences near him before leaving the sheltered security of the pillars he was currently using as a hiding place. There was no one, and so, Obi-Wan proceeded. The door was simply code-locked; it had a key pad off to the left, and Obi-Wan was aware that there was one on the inside as well. But, how to crack the code? As far as he knew, the only keys ever touched were those that held the code, so if he had some way to see the fingerprints-

Ah, screw it. There was no ne around anyway.

Obi-Wan whipped out his lightsaber, igniting it straight through the keypad and destroying the locking mechanism. The door slid open and, as Obi-Wan checked, refused to shut. Perfect. He then glanced around for a light switch. He found it on the left wall, just inside the door. At the touch of a finger, the entire room was bathed in light.

Ventress lay on her side in a ball at the far end of the cell, blood still streaming from various wounds, both old and new. Bruises speckled her pale skin, so much that Obi-Wan, had he now known better, would have been hard-pressed to figure out if her skin was white and bruised purple, or was purple and bruised white. From what he could see, she was dangerously thin, and almost all of her bones were broken. As the lights flickered on, she flinched, and curled up tighter. Her shoulders shook with what Obi-Wan knew to be silent sobs, and she hid her face behind her bruised and blood-stained hands.

"Asajj."

For once, he used her first name, instead of the name the world knew her by. Ventress's head shot up at the sound of her name; she then seemed to die inside, and simply burst into tears again. "Don't do this," she sobbed. "You've already ruined my every memory of him, don't give me new ones to regret! Haven't you done enough?"

Obi-Wan felt his heart simply explode into a million pieces.

"Asajj," he whispered, moving closer to her. She whimpered pathetically, and shrank back as far as she could into the corner. Obi-Wan felt his heart shatter even worse than before, and debated if he should wait or not. But then, he decided that it couldn't possibly get any worse. After all, she had no way of knowing if he was the real Obi-Wan or not, and the only way he could prove that to her was if he got her out of here alive and helped her clear the Force-suppressing drugs from her system so she could recognze him again. He walked over to her, and simply dropped to his knees in front of her. Her entire body seemed to shake with the fear; her wounds tore open again, both physical and mental, spilling her blood all over the floor. Obi-Wan suddenly didn't care: he reached over to her, gathering her into his arms and drawing her closer, ignoring her shaking and fear and denial.

"I'm so sorry."

With a single touch to the back of her head, he dispelled the drugs from her system, allowing her to touch the Force again. But, to his surprise, she didn't reach for it. Instead, she reached for him. She sat back on her heels for a moment, back away from him, simply looking into his eyes for a moment. Then, she leapt forward again, throwing her arms around him and ignoring the pain. For suddenly, all her pain had vanished, and it was simply replaced with the joy that seeing someone who loved her brought. Ventress buried her face in Obi-Wan's shoulder, just letting him hold her and clinging to him like there was no tomorrow.

"Hush," Obi-Wan whispered, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. "I'm not going anywhere." One hand rested on the back of her head, subtly seeking out the darkness that had been installed in her memories and dispelling it. He didn't dwell on what he saw; his numb mind could barely comprehend it anyway. He instead filed away the images to ponder over and combat later, focusing on the here and now. Right now, he had Asajj and her pain to deal with. He could feel her shaking slow as he sat with her, and eventually stop. He purged the darkness from her mind completely, making sure she was completely lucid before he asked:

"Want to get out of here?"

Ventress nodded through her tears, reaching up with one hand to wipe them away. She flinched as she did so; Obi-Wan could see the purple-ish bruise blossoming there. He reached out to her again, standing up and offering her a hand. Ventress shook her head, indicating to him that she was unable to stand. Obi-Wan's face clouded with concern, but he bent over and picked her up all the same. Even that was painful for Ventress; Obi-Wan could see her stifled whimpers as they rose and fell, and tried to be as gentle as possible with her. But still, the pain was there, and he could do nothing but offer calming energies through the Force. Ventress grasped at the energies, taking them in and using them to alleviate even the smallest bit of the pain. Once he was sure she would make it, Obi-Wan turned, and headed for the door.

He was met by a hooded figure barring his way.

"Not…so…fast…"

The voice was smooth, cold, calculated, and drove shivers down both of their spines. Ventress, however, was clearly affected: whoever this man was, he had done irreparable damage to his Asajj. Ventress shivered again, and crowded closer to Obi-Wan. The Jedi did his best to protect her, but he knew he would be fighting a losing battle. As if he didn't have the disadvantage of the turf already…

A red blade sprang from his hand; an open challenge.

"Come, then, Jedi," he sneered. "If you want her so badly, I suggest you make your decision."

Decisions, decisions…he would get them both killed, he was sure. Whichever decision he chose would put both of them in danger, he was sure. He looked at the Sith lord, waiting with his saber at the ready, and then looked down at Ventress, in his arms, gazing up at him, imploring him not to leave her, not for a second-

And Obi-Wan was hopelessly torn.

**A/N: Oh, my, can you spell angst? Well, surprise next chapter, so review!!**


	9. Chapter 9

_How blind can you be, don't you see;  
How blind can you be, don't you see;  
How blind can you be, don't you see:__  
The gambler lost all he does not have!_

Darth Sidious looked back and forth from Ventress to Obi-Wan. The former looked simply petrified with fear. The latter looked like he was trying to put on a brave face, but sadly failing. Oh, how Darth Sidious enjoyed this! He had forced a man to make the worst decision one could ever make: self, or lover? Granted, Obi-Wan and Ventress weren't quite lovers yet, but Darth Sidious suspected it was only a matter of time until the galaxy got to see what a cross between a Rattataki and a human looked like. He suspected it was a very pallid human with a very upturned nose and hair only on their heads. Icy blue eyes and auburn hair, given the parents. A tendency to wear rather disturbing makeup, and most definitely Force-sensitive. Sidious thought, for a moment, that perhaps, he could have just let them be. It might be easier trying to raise the children to his standards than to try to turn the parents. Too set in his ways was Jedi Kenobi; too tainted by Kenobi was Sith Ventress. Besides, she would never leave him. Not now, anyway. Sidious waited, watching with detached interest as Obi-Wan tried to sort himself out.

Finally, he reached a decision.

He took a step to the side, gently setting Ventress down right inside the door. Sidious could see the thinking behind it; it would be nearly impossible to hit Ventress with any attack, as long as the battle stayed outside the room. So, Sidious immediately began planning to get _inside._ The doors were jammed open, anyway, and nothing he could do right then and there could close them. In his efforts to save Ventress, he might have doomed her. Well, he had restored her ability to use the Force. He would have to keep an eye on her. Obi-Wan whispered something to her as he straightened, letting her go; their hands lingered together, and Sidious fought the urge to retch at the sight. Such sweetness, such light, such love-it was almost unbearable. He began amplifying his next attack; a Force-lightning strike meant to cripple. As soon as their hands left each other, he would strike.

A blue lightsaber sprang to life.

Sidious's smirk stretched across what little was visible of his face. "You fool," he snarled. "Young love clouds all. You will both die here; and you, Kenobi, will die first!" Sidious extended his hand, and blue-white lightning flared to life, arching towards Obi-Wan in a deadly stream.

Obi-Wan planted himself firmly in front of Ventress, raising his blade and catching the lightning on the blue saber. "You will not harm her," he said firmly. "And I will not die."

"Such confidence," Sidious said slowly, "so wasted."

Obi-Wan refused to move, standing his ground against the Sith lord. He refused to attack, though, knowing full well that it was Sidious who had to make the first move. His blue lightsaber stood in the firm guard of Soresu's opening stance, forming a barrier between himself and Sidious. Red versus blue quickly became the mantra, symbolic of the eternal struggle between good and evil. And, as Sith and Jedi finally came to a catastrophic collision, Obi-Wan could feel it in his bones that he wasn't going to come out of this alive.

But, as long as Ventress did, he could die a happy man.

Sidious finally sprang forward, his impatience getting the better of him. Red light met blue light, clashing in a violent exchange of sparks. Under their crossed blades, the Force flowed, and was eventually blocked. Each combatant built up the pressure on the other, their hands exactly mirrored back and forth to each other, neither willing to give up. Obi-Wan felt the dark lord bearing down on him, and fought back with increase ferocity. Sidious could sense this increase in the light, and fought back with more power from the dark. On and on, this struggle commenced, seeming to stretch forever but in reality, barely spanning a few seconds. Finally, the shatter point broke, and the Force sprayed out in every direction. Obi-Wan and Sidious were both forced away from each other, and both were left snarling from the encounter. The touch of the opposite side of the Force had left each of them tainted. Sidious dove right back in, utilizing every technique he knew of to dispatch Obi-Wan once and for all.

But Obi-Wan would not fall.

His love for Ventress gave him courage; it gave him hope. He was beginning to question the Jedi principles of forbidding love. The courage he had gotten from trying to protect Ventress was something that would decide the outcome of the battle, and something he didn't think he would have gotten if he was fighting for only himself. If he couldn't work up the nerve to step in and protect her, he didn't think he would have stepped in at all. He would only ever face down the most powerful Sith that ever lived for Ventress, and Ventress alone. Well, maybe Anakin. Qui-Gon, if he were still alive. Obi-Wan was decided to find that there were decidedly few people he would step up to protect like this. And he blamed it on the Jedi forbidding attachment. As his blade and the dark lord's crossed once again, Obi-Wan felt something inside of him simply snap. He was going to protect her, or die trying!

The duel stretched on for what seemed like hours. Ventress pulsed with the Force, scared, wounded, weak, and unsure of herself at every turn. She wanted to help, but knew she would only get in the way. She wanted to do something, but didn't want Sidious's attention to be reflected or redirected onto her in any way. She could see her love fighting furiously to save her, and felt like crying. She didn't deserve such unconditional love. All she had ever done was cause him pain, and here he was, fighting for her and risking his life at every twist and turn. Obi-Wan fought the dark lord like he did it every day; he ate fear for breakfast. And yet, somehow, he wasn't making any headway. Sidious matched his every blow, but couldn't seem to fight back. Or he wouldn't. Either way, Obi-Wan was satisfied with living a little longer. because every moment he had gave Anakin some more time to arrive, and at least save Ventress, if not him. Obi-Wan tried valiently to keep up, but he could feel his muscles tiring. His breath became ragged; his form and steps lost their polish. His heart beat like a drum; even the Force screamed his tiredness. Still, Obi-Wan fought on: if only to save Ventress. He shocked himself with his dedication: he had never loved before, nothing like this, ever. The only thing that even came close was his father-son relationship with Qui-Gon. And even that...it wasn't like this. He wouldn't be able to live if Ventress died...and so, he forged on.

Sidious's blade knocked his at the wrong angle.

The hit was forceful enough to jar his lightsaber from his grasp, and the metal cylinder deactivated and clattered away from his outstretched hand. Obi-Wan felt something terrible wrench his arm as the force of the blow knocked his saber away; he was pushed roughly to the ground by a Force-shove and a swelling in the dark side. Obi-Wan caught himself on his elbows, but he was almost flat on his back otherwise. Ventress was right beside him; he had been knocked back far enough to be thrown into her cell.

As Obi-Wan slid back along the ground, Sidious called the young Jedi's lightsaber to his hand. The blue blade activated once again, but this time in the hands of the Sith. Obi-Wan skittered backwards, casting about desperately for something-anything-he could use as a weapon. There was nothing. Obi-Wan found himself suddenly staring up the length of the blue blade that belonged in _his _hand, and felt anger worm its way up his throat. Still, he pressed it down. This temple was a death trap; he had been a fool to come here. And now, he was going to pay for that in blood. He was going to die here, and nothing could change that.

"Ventress," he whispered, reaching back and taking her hand. "Don't be afraid, alright? Whatever happens, don't forget that I do love you. If he lets you live, don't ever forget that, no matter what he does to your mind, your memories, your thoughts. Just think of me, and remember this last moment. No regrets; promise?"

"No regrets," Ventress said softly, taking his hand in her own. "We die together."

"It's everything I owe you not to have to suffer like this. While I don't want you to, if you feel you must, I can't discourage you."

"Please, don't. Living without you would be…unbearable."

"Don't think like that; we're not even dead-"

Obi-Wan looked up again, and swallowed hard. Well, if he wasn't now, he would be in exactly four seconds…at least he knew Ventress would be coming with him. Maybe they would meet again in whatever Force-forsaken hell they were being banished to. Well, wherever they were sent after this, he was sure it would be heaven as long as he was with her. Sidious's scowl said it all; he didn't even speak. The dark lord raised his crimson blade, and Obi-Wan closed his eyes. _This is it, _he said to himself. _This is how I'm going to die. But, wherever I go, at least I won't be alone. _The sinister whoosh of a lightsaber falling filled his ears, and Obi-Wan closed his eyes against the killing blow.

The crackle of another lightsaber completely caught Obi-Wan off guard.

He looked up, now thoroughly confused. Who had stopped Sidious? How? Why? The answer came in a purple rod, stretching out across his and Ventress's prone bodies, limning their features purple. The back of a shaved head met Obi-Wan's sight, and his heart nearly exploded with joy. Master Windu! But how had he known? A strange sense of déjà vu passed over Obi-Wan as he recalled Geonosis. Then, it struck Obi-Wan: Anakin. Anakin had called him through their bond, and gotten his location. He must have realized the severity of the situation and gotten some masters together to come after him. The sound of footsteps alerted Obi-Wan to the presence of more people; but all of them held a light Force-signature. And none of them held a heavy, metallic clanging in their gait. Obi-Wan felt ready to faint with relief; rescue. And not a moment too soon.

"Master Kenobi," Mace said tersely, still holding the shocked Sith at bay, "please, get out of here. I have others who will deal with these Sith appropriately-"

"I'll take Ventress," Obi-Wan said firmly. "She trusts me."

Mace looked confused, but decided to trust Obi-Wan. He nodded once, and then set both of his hands on his blade. He stepped behind the sword, and used his entire weight to push Sidious back and away. Sidious slid back across the permacrete floor, still in shock as to Mace's arrival. He raised his blade to block Maces strike, and Mace began his duel with the Sith. A flurry of blue and green soon accompanied the purple blade, and Obi-Wan caught sight of Yoda, Shaak Ti, Agen Kolar, Kit Fisto, Stass Allie, and Adi Gallia as they all rushed in, lightsabers swinging wildly, as they all rushed the dark lord of the Sith who had somehow managed to elude them for so long. Obi-Wan scrambled to his feet, turning immediately and sliding his hands around Ventress's waist. He helped her to her feet, and noticed, with pain of his own, that she could barely stand. Doubtless, she had simply picked the leg that hurt less and just stood on that. As it was, he had to be holding half of her weight. Obi-Wan swept his arms under her, picking her up and simply running out of the room with her. He almost ran over a Jedi healer who had arrived, and the two of them moved a safe distance away from the room where lightsabers were currently flashing back and forth faster than the human eye could follow. Obi-Wan knelt down on the floor, in the shelter of a pillar, holding Ventress across his lap and assuring her he wouldn't let her go. The Mirilian female dropped to her knees as well, concern wrinkling her forehead as she reached out to Ventress.

"Massive trauma," Barriss Offee whispered, as soon as her fingertips brushed Ventress's forehead. "Everywhere. Oh, my...oh, damn. This is bad."

"But…not irreparable, right?" Obi-Wan asked slowly.

"She needs bacta," Barriss said. "Now. Lucky for both of you, we have a bacta tank on the ship. The bones, though…oh, we're going to have to re-break them. And then set them. And then splint them. And _then_ put her in the bacta. Otherwise, the bones will heal the wrong way. Actually, they've already started. That's why we need to re-break. I don't know if I brought enough anesthesias for this…" Barriss shook her head, retracting her hand. "I could use the Force to do it, but that might take a lot out of both of us, and she doesn't nearly have the strength for it."

"Take it from me," Obi-Wan urged. He was willing to do whatever he could to save her. Barriss, being previously left out of the loop, glanced at Obi-Wan with some puzzled look on her face before hesitantly agreeing to the procedure.

"Alright, this shouldn't hurt," she said, addressing Ventress. "Please, let me know if it does."

Ventress could nothing more than nod at that point. Barriss set her hands on the worst of the broken bones: the broken ribs. "All of these are broken," she murmured, green light swirling around her hands. "Force damn it. Who kicked you, General Grievous?!"

"Maybe."

Barriss heard the sharp edge to Ventress's voice, and let the subject drop. She closed her eyes, focusing the Force within her, and then drove it into Ventress's body. The broken bones immediately began shifting, and then realigning themselves perfectly. One by one, every broken bone was mended, and Ventress could literally feel the awkward sensation of having her bones move around in her body. Obi-Wan could feel himself losing strength quickly, as Barriss stole the energy necessary to complete the procedure. She worked as quickly and efficiently as she could, using energy from both herself and Obi-Wan. By the time Barriss had finished, Obi-wan felt like he was ready to pass out. Barriss was breathing hard, and her heart rate was significantly accelerated. She drew heavily from the Force to stabilize herself; since she was using it for herself, it required no energy output. Obi-Wan did the same. Ventress, though, was feeling much better.

"Let's get out of here," Barriss said softly, "Before we're caught in the crossfire."

**A/N: Oh, aren't I spoiling you, updating the very next day? :D Well, since all of you were so great about reviewing for this-and trust me, I was absolutely floored by the response to this story-I figured I owed it to you guys. Review, please!**


	10. Chapter 10

Anakin met them at the ramp of the ship.

The second he saw Anakin, Obi-Wan felt his heart leap up into his throat, and then plummet to his feet. Anakin wasn't going to like this…he had thought he had killed Ventress multiple times, and he had thought they were rid of her when they had handed her over to the Separatists. Anakin had long harbored an enmity for Asajj that Obi-Wan had sought to quell, but he was certain that bringing Ventress back into the picture wasn't going to improve Anakin's view of her. And he could _not _let him find out about their relationship. Much as he cared about Anakin, that simply wouldn't do.

"What is she doing here?"

The venom in Anakin's voice truly stung. Obi-Wan flinched slightly, and subconsciously drew Ventress closer. "She's hurt," he said tersely. "The Sith betrayed her, and they were going to kill her. I was the only person she knew who wouldn't hurt her, and so, she called me here."

"How?!"

Obi-Wan ignored the disrespect in Anakin's voice, instead dodging the question. "Anakin, we will talk about this once I get her in some bacta. I can't risk re-breaking her re-broken bones. We can discuss this later, when I'm certain she is stabile."

Anakin looked rather peeved, but stood aside and allowed Obi-Wan and Barriss to pass. Obi-Wan immediately took a left, heading to the back of the ship, towards the medical wing. Barriss already had the bacta tank set up, and she didn't even bother to change Ventress's clothes as she lowered her into the tank. Ventress clung to the side of the tank long enough for Barriss to pass her an oxygen mask, and then, she simply let go. She floated in the bacta, fumbling with the mask before it was secured and she could relax. Obi-Wan felt relief flood his heart as Ventress drifted off to sleep; she was safe. Finally. And now, she could begin her long recovery process. It was going to take quite a bit to get her to bounce back from this, he knew. Even if she put on a brave face, he doubted she was really feeling alright inside. But now, not only did Ventress have to heal, he had to mend the breach in his and Anakin's relationship. Obi-Wan took a deep breath, and squared his shoulders firmly. It was time to face the beast.

Anakin was waiting for him right outside the door to the room.

"Well?" he snapped.

"Watch your tone with me," Obi-Wan returned shortly. He decided that taking an authoritative position might cow Anakin into submission: at least for a little while. "I will not tolerate disrespect. And, on that note, your display on the ramp will not be tolerated, either."

"Master, surely even you can see that something's wrong here! How did she call you to her?"

"Anakin, watch it-"

"How did she call you?"

"That's none of your business!"

"How did she call you?"

"It's not important for you to know-"

"_How did she call you?!"_

"Don't you dare take that tone with me-!"

"Obi-Wan!"

Obi-Wan whipped around at the sound of a female voice calling him, startled. He saw a tall, rather imposing Togruta standing there, and immediately felt sheepish. He didn't realize before now just how scary those horns really were when Shaak Ti was angry enough. "Master Ti, I apologize-" he started, but she cut him off.

"The two of you," she snapped. "Anakin, don't you dare disrespect your master that way. Obi-Wan, it _is_ important how she managed to communicate with you, and you will tell us. Although Anakin, it is past your position to so rudely demand such information from Master Kenobi, as said information may be confidential. Now, if you please?"

Anakin left the hallway, mumbling horribly about something or the other. Obi-Wan gave Shaak Ti a grateful glance, and then spared a fleeting look after Anakin. The young man fairly stomped down the hallway, looking rather pissed off. Obi-Wan felt the smallest bit bad for him; he probably felt left out, replaced. Still, was it too much to ask for a little bit of maturity from him?

"Focus, Obi-Wan," Shaak Ti said softly. "I need to know how Ventress was able to contact you, and only you. Obviously, that was what had happened to you when you sent Anakin to get me. Because, if she was Force-projecting, the rest of us would have been affected. Well, Obi-Wan. Let's have it."

Obi-Wan sighed. He couldn't really say this without implying that the connection between the two of them was mutual…but he couldn't lie, either. It was like before, when Shaak Ti had asked him. Now, there was no running away. He could always try the classic Anakin move: "Oh, look, a distraction!" and then just take off. No…no, the more he ran from this, the more it was going to chase him. He had to stop and fight. "She formed a connection with me when she was being held at the Temple," Obi-Wan finally gasped out in a rush. "I was the only one who she thought held sympathy for her, I don't know. But I guess she got a little deeper into my heart than I initially realized-"

"It's fine," Shaak Ti said, cutting him off yet again. "As long as this feeling is not mutual. But I warn you, Obi-Wan: sever this bond with her. Do it as soon as she's back on her feet. She can trust you, you can be friends: but not that close. Cut her off from you; it's dangerous. What would have happened if that had happened in the middle of a battlefield? Just…don't take the chance, alright?" She offered him a kind smile, trying to show him that she only said it because she cared, and then added, "Come on. Mace, Agen, and the others are holding up Sidious, but they need us. I came back to get you. Keep Anakin away; he's been feeling a little gray lately."

Obi-Wan nodded numbly, watching Shaak Ti walk away. He wished he could tell her: he wished he could just spill it all out. But he knew he couldn't. She would, of course, hand it all over to the Council, of which she was a part, and that would be that. He couldn't afford to do that to Ventress, either. That would be cruel. Without thinking, his feet carried him after Shaak Ti, back towards the savage battle he knew was taking place inside the Sith temple. As soon as he entered again, the dark side practically seized his throat and choked him; he could sense not one, but two dark lords now, battling furiously against the Jedi remaining in the temple. Agen was growing weaker by the moment; Yoda's age was beginning to catch up with him. Shaak Ti raced ahead, blue lightsaber blazing, diving right back into the fight weaving its way across the main hallway. Obi-Wan's own blue blade leapt to his hand, and he, too, entered the fight as soon as he could.

Adi Gallia fell back, her feet swept out from under her by a Force-shove by Dooku. Obi-Wan leapt in over her, blocking what would have been a killing blow from reaching the Jedi woman. He jumped over her, forcing Dooku back as Adi pushed herself to her feet and went after Obi-Wan and Dooku. They knew they had to separate the Sith lords: together, they were simply far too powerful. As if the temple wasn't enough of a disadvantage for the Jedi. Agen disengaged from Sidious, instead moving to attack the weaker target. "Whoever uses Djem So, get over here!" he barked. "He's Makashi!"

"I'll take him," Shaak Ti smoothly proclaimed, sliding right into Agen's spot. Agen returned to Sidious, although staying close to the edges of the battle and simply focusing on re-directing the Sith lord when he tried to escape nearer to his apprentice. Shaak Ti was using her own Makashi against Dooku's Makashi, occasionally throwing in an acrobatic Ataru move. Ataru, however, was quickly thwarted by Dooku, and so, Shaak Ti remained close to the ground. Adi had returned to Sidious, seeing as her Shien was better used against Sidious. He utilized Ataru, which was answered by Soresu; he used Makashi, which was countered by Shien and Djem So. He moved to Vaapad, to which Mace Windu responded equally. His Shii-Cho to Allie's Makashi. Sidious, for all his skill, could not gain an edge on the Jedi. Whenever he switched forms, which suited him so well before, there was always someone there to answer to whatever that form's weakness was. He was getting tired of playing this game. Sidious reverted to Soresu, the most defensive of all forms. There wasn't much of a counter to that, except time and bearing the fight: and having very little offensive capabilities. He had already been fighting for what felt like hours; the duel seemed to stretch on for an eternity, and they were all showing it.

Sidious's age was beginning to catch up with him. He no longer even tried to go for Ataru; there were too many of them to begin with, and it was simply too taxing. His Makashi wasn't taking the brunt of most of the blows being laid. Vaapad was being easily countered by Mace Windu; it made sense, the man was its creator. Adi's step was starting to slow, and her sweeps were no longer as swift and vigorous. Kit's grin was starting to fade. Allie was having more and more trouble keeping up with the flashing bar of red light that was Sidious's blade. Yoda's age, too, was slowing him now, and the old troll was no longer leaping as high.

Dooku's Makashi was finally beginning to fail him. Shaak Ti, a younger combatant than he, and Obi-Wan combined were definitely hurting him. His arms bore the slashes from Shaak Ti's almost spiteful strikes, and from Obi-Wan's returning of his own strikes. Obi-Wan seemed to be there just to irritate him. But, for all he was fading, Shaak Ti and Obi-Wan seemed to be doing alright. Maybe he was just getting old, Dooku decided. And he didn't take kindly to it.

His lightsaber was suddenly chopped in half.

Dooku simply stood for a moment, watching the destroyed remains of his lightsaber clatter to the floor. He knew it was over. Two armed Jedi against one unarmed Sith? No. It wasn't happening. Dooku held up his hands as Shaak Ti's blue blade brushed his throat, the unpleasant tingling and burning that accompanied it accented by his choked swallow. "Alright," he said, recognizing that he was done for. "I surrender."

Obi-Wan instantly moved in, and arrested the Count. Shaak Ti took the opportunity to get her breath back, and draw on the Force a bit to calm the howling in her lungs and the stinging in her muscles. As Obi-Wan led Dooku away in stun cuffs, she couldn't help but feel some measure of relief. One down, one to go.

And Sidious wasn't taking this lying down.

An enraged yowl pierced the air as Sidious saw his disciple defeated, and he unleashed a terrifying array of Force-lightning at the one responsible. Shaak Ti easily caught the Force lightning in her bare hand, the only free one, and sent it arching back towards Sidious. Sidious unleashed another barrage, and the rest of the masters moved in to attack. Sidious howled one last time, lightning flowing from his every pore, and then, he seemed to explode.

And then, he was gone.

Shaak Ti shrugged, and deactivated her lightsaber. "We got one of them, and Ventress is turning," she said lightly, walking away. "I'd say it was a good day. Get that hair on the floor to DNA, please?"

"It's mine," Agen mumbled, bending over and picking up the chunk of long, black hair on the floor. "Sorry. He got it when I spun around, my foot heading for his face."

Shaak Ti shook her head. "Better safe than sorry. Just run it on the ship. In the mean time, I believe we have to get back to Coruscant."

Mace nodded, and deactivated his saber, as well. "Grievous fled," he said to Shaak Ti, "while you were with Obi-Wan. He took a back way out. But he's a whole lot easier to find than Sidious. I really am disappointed we lost him."

"We'll find him again," Shaak Ti said. "But, for now, let's just be thankful we all have our lives, and all of our limbs and organs."

Allie nodded. "Well, we better get back," she said softly, clipping her lightsaber to her belt. "Where's Anakin?"

"On the ship," Obi-Wan said. "And let me tell you, he was _not _happy to see Miss Ventress again."

Yoda gave a small _harrumph. _"Well, not happy he may be, but learn to deal with it, he must," he said, Force-calling his walking stick to his hand. "Now, come, come, you," he continued, heading for the ship. "Greet our guest, I must. Assure her she will not be harmed, I will."

"I think she knows that already," Kit said, sounding perfectly sincere. "I mean, Obi-Wan's around, isn't he?"

"Okay, that's enough," Shaak Ti snapped, grabbing Kit's arm and fairly dragging him from the temple. She pushed him onto the ship ahead of her, and maneuvered him into the passenger section of the large craft that had brought along. Allie, Adi, and Agen were all close behind, with Mace, Yoda, and Obi-Wan following.

"Well, Obi-Wan," Mace was saying, "That was some rescue. Although, some advance notice might have been nice."

Obi-Wan smiled softly. "I apologize, Master Windu," he said politely. "But I feared I didn't have time to gather enough Jedi to lead an all-out assault on the Sith-"

"Hmph. Still spoken with one of us, you should have," Yoda grumbled. Obi-Wan smiled, but humored Yoda.

"Of course, Master Yoda. You may be assured you have my humblest apologies."

Yoda's gimer stick tapped eerily on the loading ramp as he limped up the steel platform. He immediately hung a right, and head for the infirmary. Barriss Offee was right outside, and stood up from her chair as soon as she saw Yoda walk through the door.

"Master Yoda, welcome back," she said. "Is everyone alright?"

"Fine, we all are," Yoda said. "Superficial and requiring no treatment, any injuries were. Here to speak with Ventress, we are."

"Of course." Barriss stepped aside, allowing them access to Ventress's room. "But, she may be asleep." Yoda shook his head, and entered. Mace and Obi-Wan followed along behind him, hanging back slightly once in the room. Obi-Wan felt Ventress's presence grow wary, despite her outward appearance of sleep, and sent her calming reassurances in the Force.

_Don't worry, darling: it's just me. Master Windu and Master Yoda are here, too. They just want to talk to you, if you're up to it._

_Can you tell them I'm asleep?_

'_Fraid not. They've probably sensed you, and know you're awake already._

Ventress slowly opened her eyes, taking in a deep breath through the oxygen mask on her face. Yoda's ears uncurled slightly at the tips, and pricked up a little. "Awake, you are, Ventress?"

Ventress nodded slowly, pushing herself to the top of the tank. Her head breached the top; she hooked her arms over the side, and pulled the oxygen mask away from her nose and mouth. "I'm staying in here," she mumbled. "But you can talk to me."

_And that's more progress than I ever could have prayed for, _Obi-Wan thought to himself._ I just hope she'll be as receptive of them as she was of me._

**A/N: Little long, but it's not like you mind. :D Review, please!**


	11. Chapter 11

_It's not the tree that forsakes the flower__  
__But the flower that forsakes the tree_

Ventress waited for someone to start asking questions, trying to keep herself calm. She couldn't help but feel nervous, what with all these influential people around her. One word could end her life; another could spare it. Ventress hung the oxygen mask over the side of the tank and switched it off, gently pushing herself over to the platform that encircled half of the tank. She took hold of the edge of the platform and used the Force to push herself up, out of the bacta, and onto the platform. She was disappointed in herself; she had reached for the dark side. Well, that was one strike against her. Ventress sat on the edge of the low platform, letting her lower legs hang in the bacta still. She had only been in for thirty minutes; she knew she would need to be in for at least another couple of days before she could even think about walking again. But, for now, she was okay.

"Master Kenobi tells us you were able to contact him through a bond you established with him," Mace started, dark-complected face not betraying anything. "Can you tell us more about this?"

"Well..." Ventress started slowly. "I know this sounds bad, but that's the truth. When you were holding me at the Temple...he was really the only one who communicated with me. He was making the extra effort to try to make me comfortable, and I didn't take that for granted. We got to be friends." Ventress smiled softly, looking down at the bruises speckling her legs, still half-immersed in bacta. "At first, I thought I wanted nothing more than to go back to the Sith. Because I thought they accepted me for who I was." Ventress looked up again, shaking some droplets of bacta out of her face. "But then I realized...I was changing myself to fit their whims. They did nothing but use me, step on me, and in general just treat me like dirt. And I let them do it because I thought, 'well, at least they aren't trying to change me.' But then Dooku implanted those chips on Boz Pity...and that was it. I started seeing the Sith, hell, the entire dark side, in a new light: no pun intended. And I have Obi-Wan to thank for that. He never gave up on me, no matter what I threw at him. It just took me some time to realize it was because he genuinely cared. I just couldn't see it until I got shot." Ventress offered the Jedi a small smile, hoping that her slightly overdramatic, sappy tale might be enough to distract them from her bond.

"But answer our question, you did not," Yoda said, bug-eyes widening at Ventress as his ears pricked. "Betray you, your thoughts do, Asajj. Be careful where they wander."

"So, how about it, Ventress?" Mace asked. "How did this bond form that you were able to call Obi-Wan at will?"

"It wasn't quite at will," Ventress said, starting to get defensive. Obi-Wan reached out to her through their bond, and he felt her recoil at his gentle touch. Her shields slammed up; then, she realized it was him, and let him into her consciousness. His mere presence calmed her significantly, and Ventress took a deep breath. She let Obi-Wan's essence quiet her raging emotions, and then started again. "I was under the impression that I was nearing the end of my life, and, in desperation, reached out to the only person I thought would come for me. It was just luck that it got to him."

"From what you've told us, your bond is very strong," Mace said vaguely. He turned to Obi-Wan. "Were you aware of the strength of this bond?"

"I'm in the same situation as Ventress," Obi-Wan replied, not missing a beat. "I knew it was there, but I didn't know it was so strong. It's almost like having another Padawan."

"Except much older, Asajj is, and dangerous as well," Yoda said, shaking his head. "Sever this bond, you must, Obi-Wan."

"Don't!" Ventress immediately regretted speaking, but she knew she couldn't take it back. She had to explain herself now. "I-he's what's holding me to the light side," she said. "If you take that away, I don't know what will happen. He's been keeping me calm this entire time, helping me through this-if you have to cut us apart, at least wait until I'm back on my feet, able to pursue the light side of my own free will, and easily. I need help to access it."

"Have you ever even accessed it once since Narec was your instructor?" Mace asked.

"She has," Obi-Wan said, surprised at himself now. He and Ventress shared a glance; now they were sharing thoughts! "We were meditating together, and she got it," Obi-Wan said quickly. He felt Ventress relax, and heard, _Nice save._

_Thanks, _he replied. _Now be careful-they're on their guard, and looking for the slightest bit of activity between us. Keep it business._

Ventress gave no response, and Obi-Wan felt a smile twitch at the corners of his lips. Still, he shoved it down, resolving firmly to take his own advice.

Mace and Yoda shared a glance, and then looked back to Ventress. "What exactly transpired between you and the Sith?" Mace asked. He knew it was a touchy question, but he had to know. If memories had been altered, or if Ventress's mind was damaged, they might have to take action before they even got her to the Temple.

"Obi-Wan cleansed my mind," Ventress said quickly. "He did when he first found me. Dooku and Sidious had screwed with my memories of him and the rest of the Jedi, and so, Obi-Wan corrected everything to make sure I wouldn't be afraid of him."

Mace glanced at Obi-Wan, who nodded slowly. "I might need to go through again," he said. "I just cleansed what was near the surface."

"That was it," Ventress said. "I remember what he changed, and you fixed it."

"Still, we'd like to make sure," Mace said firmly, indicating to Ventress that she didn't have much of an option. Ventress slowly lowered her gaze, biting her lower lip between her teeth.

"Only if it's Obi-Wan."

Mace turned to Obi-Wan. "Well, Master Kenobi?" he asked. "Will you?"

Obi-Wan took a swift, fleeting look at Ventress, and then returned his eyes to Mace. "Sure," he said softly, and then approached Ventress. The Rattataki seemed perfectly at ease with him; she sat quietly on the edge of the platform while Obi-Wan climbed up the stairs on the side. He sat down next to her so he was facing her; Ventress turned slightly to face him in return. He extended both of his hands to her; she rested her hands in his, palms down. Ventress immediately felt Obi-Wan push calming energies into her body, and welcomed the soothing pulses sent throughout her entire body. She felt Obi-Wan gently probe the borders of her mental shields, and did her best to slowly lower them. One by one, powerful walls fell, until Ventress's mind was completely open. Obi-Wan slipped in as unobtrusively as he could, very carefully shuffling through Ventress's memories. He tried not to disturb anything too badly; Ventress didn't need any new phobias or fears. He gently picked up a memory, briefly scanned it for darkness, and then set it down again, doing so as quickly as possible. Ventress willingly offered him any memory she could dredge up, helping him sort through her mind herself. Obi-Wan was shocked at the level of trust she displayed in him: she had yet to even flinch, or feel uncomfortable at the feel of another in her mind. Obi-Wan could appreciate her efforts. He tried not to make the experience worse and take too long, so he quickly scanned through each memory for darkness or alteration and then handed it back to her. Ventress replaced the memory where it had been before while he looked at the one she had just handed him, and so the process went. Obi-Wan lost all contact with the outside world; he couldn't have heard it someone was playing the symphony orchestra in the very same room.

Ventress gently pushed him back a bit, telling him that she was done. They had gone through every thought in her mind in under two minutes, and there was not a shred of darkness to be found. Obi-Wan slowly withdrew, trying not to jar her too much as he did so. Sometimes, when a person withdrew from another too fast, the backlash from the sudden repeal would leave the person reeling. Obi-Wan slid back into his own body, a sharp inhale marking his return.

"Well?"

The Jedi Master opened his eyes, and delivered his report. "No darkness, anywhere," he said. "And we went through every memory, every thought, we could possibly find."

"We?" Yoda said incredulously. "Helped you, she did?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, releasing Ventress's hands. She slowly built up the walls around her mind again, fearing an attack from the Sith. Obi-Wan could understand her concern, and said nothing in regards to the action. "She showed me what she had found next, and replaced what I had already looked through. It went very quickly."

"Are you sure you were thorough enough?" Mace asked. "You never know what else might be hiding deep in her mind."

"Her mind was completely pure," Obi-Wan said, pushing himself to his feet. Ventress pushed herself back into the bacta, sighing with relief as she did so. She swam back to the other side of the tank, and then resurfaced on the other side. She hooked her arms over the exposed top lip of the container, and then simply hung there, waiting for further direction from the Jedi. Obi-Wan stepped down the stairs at the back of the platform, and rejoined the other Jedi Masters at the front of the tank. "She's fine, mentally. Not even trauma!"

Yoda and Mace exchanged glances again.

"Truly amazing, this is," Yoda said slowly. "Well, leave you to heal, we will." He turned, then, and exited the room, silently allowing the other Jedi to feel free to do whatever they felt was necessary. Mace turned and followed Yoda out; Obi-Wan decided to stay.

_Not now-they've got surveillance in here._

_I know. I'm sorry._

_Don't be. It's not your fault._

Ventress smiled slightly at Obi-Wan, still hanging over the side of the bacta tank. "Stay for a minute," she whispered. "I've missed you. Haven't gotten a chance to talk to you..."

"I know," Obi-Wan said, grabbing one of the chairs in the corner and dragging it over. "But, I think I'm already up to date on everything that's happened...so, how are you feeling?"

"I feel like a shaak sat on me," Ventress mumbled. "Huge butts that they have. Anyway, I'm doin' pretty good, otherwise. And yourself?"

"Watch the animals you choose," Obi-Wan said, smiling slightly. He folded his arms across his chest, leaned back in the chair, and crossed his right leg over his left, letting his ankle rest on his thigh. "Master Shaak Ti might only hear part of what you said, and I don't think she would be happy with it. Don't get me wrong, she's fun, she understanding, and she's great, but she's a bit grumpy already. No, I'm doing okay. I just defeated a Sith lord in battle, arrested him, helped drive off another Sith lord, and turned the love of my life to the light side, from the dark side, and rescued her from certain death." Obi-Wan nodded once. "Yeah, I'd say it was a good day."

Ventress laughed slightly, trying to keep her ribs within the bacta. "Sounds like a good day for anybody," she said, "Especially a Jedi."

Obi-Wan smiled at her, and Ventress swore the storm clouds in those eyes parted to reveal a soft blue sky behind them. It was truly beautiful, she decided, when he smiled from his heart. "I'm happy," he said, shrugging slightly. "But Master Yoda might want a kill in there, in addition to the turning and the arrest and all that..."

Ventress laughed again, and, surprisingly, felt no pain. She blamed the bacta, although she did feel like she was floating on a cloud. Drugs, she decided. What did they hit her with when she wasn't looking?

"Ah, who am I kidding," she muttered. "It's love."

Obi-Wan's eyebrows rose. "Pardon?"

Ventress smiled coyly. "Hey...when I get out of here...wanna go for lunch?"

Obi-Wan's smile returned hers equally. "I'd like that," he said softly. "Haven't been to Dex's in forever..."

"Never been there..."

"Old friends owns it. Dexter Jettster."

Ventress nodded. "Well, I'll trust your choice."

"It's a date then."

"...it's a date."

**A/N: Yay, the fluff you've all been dying for. :D Review please.**


	12. Chapter 12

"Well, finally!"

Obi-Wan felt a huge sigh leave his chest as Ventress emerged from the bacta tank in the Jedi Temple, seemingly like her usual, crabby self. She was fine if she could snap at them like she did. Obi-Wan knew, however, that her snappish nature was only to cover up her nervousness. She was looking forward to going out with Obi-Wan, but she wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the whole Jedi-are-forbidden thing. It made her nervous to have to hide everything. Ventress, upon exiting the tank, immediately reached for her clothes, which someone had taken the time to wash and leave next to the tank. Ventress went to remove the white medical gown, and then glanced at Obi-Wan.

"Do you mind?!"

Obi-Wan's smirk only increased in size. "Oh, no, by all means, go ahead," he said slyly, looking Ventress up and down. "It's not like _you _mind, anyway."

Ventress gave a horrified squeak, and then half-groaned, half-screamed in frustration. "You wanna play it that way, fine," she said, acting as disgusted as possible. Meanwhile, Shaak Ti watched from the doorway, a crooked smile fixed on her rose-colored lips. She leaned against the doorway, weight in one hip, one leg crossed over the other, arms folded across her chest, and with her back against the doorframe.

"You two have an interesting relationship," she observed, watching Ventress erect a meager changing screen out of the bacta tank and the curtain around it. She ducked behind the tank, out of sight of both Jedi, and began changing her clothes. "The entire time I was healing her, she seemed so pissed off. And you could see it in her eyes, she was ticked. But with you…she's so compliant, she totally trusts you. I mean, yeah, she cooperated, but she didn't trust me. And she didn't really want me near her." Shaak Ti shook her head. "What is that all about?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Like you said before, she trusts me," he said simply. "Now more than ever, since I was the one who found her."

Shaak Ti's black eyes slid closed, and she nodded slowly. "I guess," she said, "it makes sense. She trusted you before, that whole incident pretty much cemented it."

Obi-Wan nodded in return, and Ventress emerged from behind the bacta tank. "Alright, I'm done," she said. "Thanks for leaving." The dry humor and irritation in her voice sent Obi-Wan laughing, and Ventress gave him a withering glare. "Anyway," she said slowly, still glaring at Obi-Wan, "I'm done. Now what?" She straightened out her stomach wraps, pulling them down a bit more towards her long, sweeping skirt. She brushed off the skirt, knocking it back into place around her legs.

"I guess she should go before the Council," Shaak Ti sighed. "Hate to do this to you so soon. Both of you."

Ventress glanced at Obi-Wan. "You're speaking, as well?" she asked. Obi-Wan nodded.

"Everyone who was at that battle needs to brief the rest of the Council needs to speak, technically. But, I have word that the rest of the Council has already been briefed by those who were at the battle, and all that remains is my two cents. In other words, everything they missed."

Ventress groaned slightly. "So I have to tell them everything," she muttered. "Happy birthday to me."

Shaak Ti glanced at Ventress. "It's your birthday?"

"I think so…"

"You think?" One orange forehead marking rose in skepticism.

"I'm not good with converting the days between planets…but this about that time, yeah."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I'll take you for lunch when we're done here," he said. "Master Ti, would that be alright?"

Shaak Ti glanced between the Rattataki and the human. "Like, what, a date?" she asked. Obi-Wan could hear in her voice pleading for them to laugh, and to tell her it was just some joke.

"Oh, no," Obi-Wan said. "Just…as a friend."

Shaak Ti shrugged. "I'll take your word for it. Go with my blessing."

Obi-Wan smiled slightly in thanks, and Shaak Ti pushed off the door frame. "Let's go," she said. "You two go have fun with each other. Eat lunch, walk around a little, I'll let you know when the Council's about to get together. That way, you can get back in time. Keep your com on, any Jedi channel. I'll find it."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Will do," he said, smiling. "Thank you, Master Ti. We'll be back in about an hour. We're just going to Dex's for lunch."

"Okay," Shaak Ti said. "Have fun."

Obi-Wan nodded, and Shaak Ti left the room. Ventress glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and a soft light came into the icy orbs. _Any surveillance in here?_

_Thankfully, no._

Obi-Wan turned to Ventress, and kissed her.

She melted into his arms, finally able to touch him again without fear of being found out. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close, holding her so close she could hear his heart. Her own heart leapt into her throat, and then simply stopped beating. Ventress could swear he was a drug: and damn, was she addicted! For a moment, there was nothing but the soft pull of his embrace, and the soft pressure of his lips against hers. The entire world seemed to fade away, unimportant and not of any use at the moment. What good were the senses, anyway, if the world did not exist? Ventress's world narrowed to that one moment in time as they shared their first real, actual kiss, and she could swear she was flying.

Then, all too soon, it was over.

Ventress was left gasping for air, panting hard to get her breath back. Obi-Wan seemed like he was in shock: his gray eyes had frozen into carbon, and he stared at her like he was looking at someone completely different.

"Thanks," Ventress finally whispered, the awkwardness of the situation finally setting in.

"Um, yeah, you…you too," Obi-Wan tried, letting go of her shoulders and stepping back. "I'm just gonna run up to my room and get some cash…"

"Yeah, I, uh…I gotta use the bathroom anyway…"

"I'll meet you back down here…"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"We've got surveillance outside anyway…"

"You don't trust me?"

Obi-Wan seemed to suddenly regain his composure. "I like you dangerous."

Ventress's face flushed until her skin almost looked human. She ducked her head, smiling, and waited until Obi-Wan was gone to reached out and grab the side of the bacta tank for support. Several audible gasps echoed throughout the room, finally ending in a long, contented sigh. Ventress couldn't understand why everything he said just had that effect on her, but, hey, what was love without that knock-you-right-over feeling?

He had floored her with that kiss, anyway.

OOOOOOOOOO

Ventress was laughing.

Obi-Wan had never seen it before, but apparently his witty comments about his and Dex's long-time friendship were enough to send both aliens into convulsions. Dex, or Dexter Jettser, was a walking wall of brown, slimy flesh, with four meaty arms, two hulking legs, and a plump stomach to round it all off. His broad mouth was lined with sharp, pointed teeth, and when he laughed, his entire body shook. He had a deep voice that perfectly matched his portly appearance, and he looked like a throwback to the dinosaurs of ancient earth. The huge Besalisk had sat down with Obi-Wan when he had said that he was eating with "a friend." Then, he found out the friend was female. And of course, Dex, being Dex, saw it fit to tease Obi-Wan about the friendship. Ventress, under the circumstances, had dealt with it extremely well, never once pulling a punch and simply throwing everything back in Dex's face. Dex finally gave up, and now, the three were laughing over dessert.

"I remember this one guy," Dex said, "who walked into the bar I used to have and asked me to identify what he thought was a saberdart. I took one look at it-you'll never guess what it was."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to hear the answer?" he asked.

"It was a wishbone from the bird he had for lunch two days ago!"

Obi-Wan laughed slightly, shaking his head. "I love the galaxy," he said. "Everyone in it who is capable of speech seems more capable of humiliating themselves because of it."

"Oh, I agree," Ventress said, sipping at her drink. "I could swear sometimes that my vornskrs are more intelligent than half the people I know."

"You keep vornskrs?" Dex asked, lowering his voice. Ventress nodded. "Well, I'll be damned," Dex said, leaning back and slapping his thigh. "Little lady's got a vicious streak!"

Ventress merely smiled, and glanced at Obi-Wan. The Jedi master caught her gaze, and smiled in return. "You wouldn't believe it," he said slowly, shaking his head again. "You don't watch the news do you?"

Dex shrugged. "Ah, she was with you. Figured that was good enough."

Ventress sighed. "Ah, if only it were that simple…"

Dex placed two of his hands on the table, and then other two on his thighs. He pushed himself to his feet, sliding out of the booth and standing up. "Well, if the two of you are okay…"

"I think we're done," Obi-Wan said. "Ventress?"

"I'm good," she said, sliding out of the booth as well. Obi-Wan handed Dex the money for the meal, and then stood up, as well. Dex shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "It's on the house."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, this time I will pay you," he said. "I insist."

"As do I."

Ventress reached over and grabbed the money from Dex. She split it into two equal parts, and handed one to each person. "Everyone happy?"

Dex glanced at her, and then shrugged. "I'll take it," he said. "I know you'll be stubborn about this, so I might as well meet you halfway."

Obi-Wan smiled. "Good to see you again, Dex," he said, sliding the money he had left back into his pocket. He gave the broad alien a hug good-bye, and Dex enthusiastically returned the gesture.

"Good to see you, too. Come back soon, eh? And bring your girlfriend."

Ventress laughed, and gently smacked Dex on the arm. "You're funny," she said sarcastically. "You're hysterical." Dex reached over and grabbed her, pulling her in a huge bear-hug.

"None of that, little lady," he admonished. "Get this lazy Jedi back here, ya hear?" he set Ventress down, and the woman carefully straightened her clothes.

"Only if you don't pick me up again."

Dex grunted. "Deal," he said. "Take care, you two."

Obi-Wan gave him a smile, and then he and Ventress exited the small diner Dex owned. "Well, that was nice," he said. "Dex and I have been friends for a while. I don't get to see him much."

"Seems like an okay guy," Ventress said, nodding. "Good cook, too."

"He's about as good as they come," Obi-Wan agreed, walking back to the Temple. Ventress drew several hateful stares, but no one questioned her presence. Standing next to her was a Jedi: and not just any Jedi. The famous General Kenobi, the Negotiator. No one was messing with him. "Nice guy, too."

Ventress nodded slowly. She longed to reach over and take his hand. She longed to walk down the street not as Jedi and Sith, not as friend and foe, not even as friend and friend, but she wanted to walk down the street as a couple. She longed to have his arm around her, leaning on him, and to leave behind the world itself. She longed to forget the entire galaxy as it was-to escape the hate-filled stares, the disgusted glances, the terrified, yet angry, looks. Life just wasn't fair, was it? Ventress sighed softly, turning her face up to the filtered Coruscant sun. This needed to last forever…she wanted to walk with him for as long as possible before-

"We're here."

They had reached the Temple.

Ventress sighed softly, but said nothing as she approached the Temple with Obi-Wan. She had to face this, she knew. She couldn't just ignore it for as long as she had. This was something she needed to own up to. She had to account for everything she had done, and just hope that the Jedi Council was feeling merciful today. She mounted the tall steps to the Temple with Obi-Wan at her side. She remembered reaching the top…and then, everything passed in a numb fog. She was aware of her feet carrying her wherever Obi-Wan led her, silently following a step behind him as they walked. In front of her, Jedi parted like the Red Sea for Moses. Most looked disgusted; others looked scornful. There was some fear sprinkled in and around the Jedi there: the occasional person who knew she was more powerful than they, and could kill them instantly. Hundreds of species left their saliva at her feet as they turned and walked away, snarling and feeling anger no Jedi ever should. Ventress felt shame creep across her face; she slowly lowered her gaze, almost afraid to meet their hate-filled eyes.

"Lift your head," Obi-Wan said softly. "You have done nothing wrong."

Ventress thought this over for a moment, and then realized he was right. Stupid Jedi: why were they always right? Especially this one. Had he ever been wrong in his entire life?!

Mace Windu met them outside the Council room. Obi-Wan stopped, Ventress at his side. Mace could tell Ventress was nervous, but said nothing in regards to it. In fact, he didn't even say anything to her. He addressed Obi-Wan instead. "If it's alright with you, the Council would like to speak with her alone first," Mace said. "We would appreciate it if you would remain here while we spoke with her."

Obi-Wan glanced at Ventress. She met his concerned gaze with a worried, scared one, and Obi-Wan thought she might just refuse. "Are you okay?" he mouthed to her. Ventress averted her gaze, taking a sudden interest in her feet. Her sharp teeth punched into her lower lip, leaving angry red marks. Then, she slowly nodded. Obi-Wan offered her a small smile, and gently patted her shoulder.

"It'll be fine," he whispered. "Don't be afraid."

Ventress nodded slowly, and Mace turned and led her into the Council room. The doors slid shut behind them, and Obi-Wan was left standing in the middle of the hallway, feeling totally stranded.

**A/N: Well, reviews would be nice…**


	13. Chapter 13

Ventress was immediately intimidated.

Before her sat the twelve-no, eleven; they had made Obi-Wan wait outside-most influential people of her life at the current moment. She looked around the circle slowly, taking in each and every member in turn. Each one seemed to scare her more than the next, and not even because they looked angry. Just the amount of sheer _power…_she was as good as dead if any one of these Jedi decided it.

Obi-Wan's empty chair struck a chord in Ventress's heart; it was the first she saw when she walked in, all the way on the right. Adi Gallia's dark countenance resembled carefully concealed anger. Agen Kolar looked stern and haughty. Shaak Ti looked sympathetic towards her, maybe even a little sad. Oppo Rancisis looked down his nose at her, upper lip twitching as if fighting not to spit. Kit Fisto looked more relaxed than Ventress would have liked. Even Piell regarded her with a cold curiosity. Saesee Tiin's stern face looked a little more intimidating than Ventress was sure was appropriate for a Jedi. Plo Koon's face was covered by his mask, which somehow made him looked all the more threatening. Ki-Adi-Mundi looked flat-out angry; he didn't bother to hide it. Mace Windu's face was completely smooth and unreadable. Yoda just looked like he was about to fall asleep-as usual.

"Asajj Ventress," the little green troll began, "Come to us of your own free will, have you?"

"I have," Ventress said smoothly. She only wished she was as confident as her voice indicated she was.

"I know this is going to be difficult," Shaak Ti said slowly, leaning forward slightly and resting her elbows on her knees, "but we do need to know exactly what transpired between you and the Sith on Yavin 4."

Ventress immediately flinched, as if smacked. Her mental shields slammed up, as if she had experienced an attack. Ki-Adi-Mundi had a triumphant gleam in his eye as he looked at Mace; Mace gave him a punishing glare. _Don't do that again, _he seemed to be saying, and Ki-Adi took his words to heart. Shaak Ti, too, gave Ki-Adi a glare. "Don't even try," she said, slowly, almost menacingly, "unless you have told her you're going to and you have her express permission. This proves nothing."

"It proves she isn't willing to let anyone into her mind."

"If you did that, I would hurt you so badly," Shaak Ti mumbled. "It wouldn't even be funny. And not even because it was without permission, but because you would scare me and provoke an immediate defensive action. She actually did a very good job of not hurting anyone."

Ventress was grateful to Shaak Ti for defending her. She wasn't sure she could have said it just so that everyone would immediately regret the words they had spoken. _So this is why she's on the Council, _Ventress thought vaguely to herself. _That, and out-dueling Lord Tyranus. _Ventress felt the eyes turn from her to Shaak Ti. The Togruta master merely shrugged, and continued as if nothing had happened. "Well, Ventress, you have my assurances that that won't happen again. If you would be so kind as to lower your barriers?"

Ventress was hesitant to comply, but she knew it would only look as if she had something to hide if she refused. After a moment, she slowly released her hold on the mental shielding she had developed so well over the past few years. The walls fell, but no one moved to enter her mind. Ventress instead felt a wave of calm pass over her, momentarily hushing her singing nerves. She felt the light side of the Force rolling over her, and reached for it eagerly. This was what she had been lacking for so long; it felt so good to finally have some peace from the turmoil that constantly permeated her thoughts.

Yoda's eyes slid shut, and remained that way for a moment. When they opened again, there was a slightly clouded look to them. Ventress turned to the Jedi master, knowing he would be the next to speak. And, sure enough, Yoda asked her not a moment later: "How feel you?" Ventress had opened her mouth to reply, when Yoda suddenly cut her off again. "No, no lying!" he barked, effectively silencing the generic, "Fine," Ventress was about to spit out. Ventress paused, and thought a bit more on the emotions swirling around her. He wanted specifics, not just a general overview.

"A little nervous," she said. "Frightened, maybe…my life rests in your hands now, and I haven't even spoken a word to half of you before. The only person I really, fully trust is not here right now, and I'm on my own. It's a scary feeling."

"I know this won't help," Adi said slowly, "but I feel the need to reiterate that none of us wish to harm you. Nor do we hold a grudge against you."

"I know that," Ventress said. "I also know that I will not be in any pain, nor will I be punished for anything that happened, and I know that I will not have to give up my life on your account: but it still scares me to be here. Just…the sheer magnitude of the situation."

"I understand," Adi said softly. "Just try to relax. It's certainly a tense, nerve-wracking situation, but we will try to make it as calm and relaxed as we possibly can."

"And for your efforts, I thank you extensively."

"We would like to know," Mace Windu said, raising one hand to run back over his shaved head, "what exactly your relationship with Obi-Wan is like."

Ventress was taken aback. Did they suspect something? Well, she would just have to tell them as little as possible, as truthfully as possible. "We are very close," she confessed. "He always cared about me…he wanted me to find the light. And after this entire situation came about, we became even closer. He just…he helped me through it all, really. He was always there for me in a personal manner, and he would always tell me the honest truth. I felt as though I could trust him with my life."

Yoda nodded slowly as Ventress spoke. His eyes closed again, and Ventress felt the light side of the Force shift again. She recoiled slightly at its touch; it wound its way around her shoulder, the last point of contact she had had with Obi-Wan. Still, she tried not to fight: she didn't want to appear as if-

"Hiding something, you are, Asajj."

Ah, crap.

"What?" Ventress repeated, looking as surprised as possible. "I'm not hiding anything! Well, maybe about my childhood, but nothing about now, or nothing I wouldn't tell you! Nothing that would pertain to this moment."

"Pertains to Obi-Wan, it does," Yoda barked sharply. "Concealing your true feelings for him, you are."

Ventress sighed. Oh, how was she going to worm her way out of this one? There obviously wasn't any fooling Yoda. He would find any flaws in her defense she had, and exploit that until she cracked and gave it up. So, the next best tactic was diversion.

"Alright, for sake of argument, let's say I was hiding…romantic feelings for Obi-Wan. Wouldn't that just be my problem? As long as it wasn't reciprocal, would it really matter?"

"The fact of the matter is, you lied," Mace stated firmly. "That concerns us."

Ventress sighed softly. "I've lied about a lot of things," she whispered. "Why does it matter all of a sudden?"

"Because it involves a Jedi," Shaak Ti said, her voice as soft and smooth as any angel's. "We can't allow anything about him to slide, regardless of whether or not it directly involves him or not. Obi-Wan is a senior member of this Jedi Council, like myself, Master Yoda, and Master Windu. Don't get me wrong, it would be the same no matter who it was about," Shaak Ti said quickly. "From assassinations to romance to double-agents to blackmail, nothing can be hidden."

Ventress bit her lip nervously. Force, this was torture! She couldn't come up with anything to combat the Jedi's logic, nor could she make a move to get out of there. That had been her method of dealing with difficult situations before: intimidation and lightsabers. Occasionally running away, and then killing you in your sleep. But she had always been able to hide whatever she was doing until later, always been able to find a way out. They had her cornered: and damn, every single person in that room knew it.

"Fine," Ventress finally whispered. "I'll admit it. Yes, I have feeling for Obi-Wan. He doesn't return them, and he doesn't know, either. I figured it was better that way, because he could never love me back. I've been trying to hide it-"

Kit Fisto cut her off. "Yeah, good job, honey," he muttered.

Ventress flinched slightly. "Is it that obvious?"

Kit snorted. "Let me put it to you gently," he said. "It's either what you've been doing, or walking around with 'Guess who I like!' tattooed on your forehead."

Agen Kolar's eyebrows rose. "Way to be gentle," he said dryly. He shook his head, and turned to Ventress. "I think Kit means to say that the Force tells us a lot more than your outward physical behaviors," he said, trying to smooth things over. "I have noticed that the Force moves around you in one hell of a way. But only when you're around Obi-Wan. Plus, your eyes."

Ventress slowly turned to fully face Agen. "What about them?" she asked.

"They're very expressive," Agen replied. "One can tell exactly what you're thinking, feeling, just by looking into your eyes, however well you hide it on your face, in your hands, even in the Force. But, the Force doesn't lie. It clearly shows us that your feelings for him run very deeply and possibly very romantically."

Ventress sighed slowly, blowing out her breath and making it as drawn-out as she could. Her hands came up to cover her face; they slowly moved aside, resting against her cheeks. Ventress's eyes remained downcast, unsure of herself, suddenly catapulted into a new world of something she had no control over. Her hands fell to her chest, arms folding across her bust and moving slightly up and down as she breathed in again, and then exhaled one last time.

"What else?"

She turned to Shaak Ti, who looked suddenly very guilty. "What else?" she repeated, glaring at the Jedi master. "I can sense it, even in the opposite side of the Force: there's more." Shaak Ti leaned back, letting her arms fall to the sides of her chair. She slumped down in the chair, flinching as she accidently sat on one of her lekku.

"You sure you want to hear this?" Shaak Ti asked, addressing both Ventress and the entire Council. Everyone nodded. Shaak Ti sat up, sighing almost as dramatically as Ventress had. "Get Obi-Wan in here. He needs to hear this, too."

Adi Gallia, who was closest to the door, stood up, and waved it aside with the Force. She stuck her head out, and softly called Obi-Wan in. Obi-Wan entered the room, and Adi closed the door behind him. He moved to sit down, but a soft shake of Shaak Ti's head convinced him otherwise. He moved instead to stand next to Ventress, struggling with all his life not to reach out and take her hand, to comfort her, to give her the courage she needed to go on.

"Alright," Shaak Ti said. "First, Obi-Wan, Ventress has been hiding romantic feelings from you. She says she didn't tell you because she thought it would be easier for everyone, since you couldn't love her back, and she didn't want to get you in trouble."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I knew about that," he said. "When I cleansed her mind on Yavin 4, I saw it."

Shaak Ti nodded once, and continued. "Now, after a few days of treating her as a Jedi healer, obviously, a lot of her Force-residue had rubbed off on me. It brought me a vision." She stared at Obi-Wan and Ventress, both of whom were now facing her with concerned glances on their faces. "This involves the both of you," she said slowly. "You might want to brace yourselves for this." Shaak Ti took a deep breath, and finally spit it out. "Ventress, you are supposed to have a baby with Obi-Wan."

Jedi and Sith suddenly turned to each other, utterly floored by Shaak Ti's prediction. Ventress seemed more shocked than Obi-Wan: Obi-Wan hid his emotions behind his usual Jedi mask, but even through that mask, the shock and stun still seemed to overpower him. Shaak Ti looked to Mace and Yoda, seeking some direction. Mace had sunk back in his chair, exhaling slowly and massaging the bridge of his nose. Yoda had curled up into a ball, it seemed, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his knees. His head was bowed, and his ears were curved very far downward. The entire Council turned to him, the same shock etched into each and every one of their faces. Yoda shook his head almost sadly, seemingly confirming Shaak Ti's vision in that one gesture. The entire world was silent: everyone waited with bated breath until Yoda finally spoke and delivered his verdict.

"Difficult to see, the future is," he said slowly. "Always in motion, always changing, it is. But certain, this is. Master Ti's vision…true, it will become."

Obi-Wan seemed like he was torn right now. Shaak Ti turned to him, as if seeing some new light now.

"And you, too!" she gasped. "You were _both _hiding it!"

Obi-Wan nodded numbly. "I'm sorry," he whispered, reaching over to Ventress and taking her in his arms. "To all of you," he continued, addressing the Council. "But I couldn't allow this to happen to her."

Shaak Ti shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she said. "I'll-I'll search the Force, see if you were meant to stay in the Order."

"Meant to stay, he was," Yoda said sharply. "But meditate on this, I will. Find out why, I will."

Obi-Wan sighed again, pulling Ventress into his arms. He bowed his head, and whispered to her:

"I'm so sorry."

**A/N: Ha, didn't see that one comin' did ya?! XD Well, review.**


	14. Chapter 14

_Wake up: I'm pounding on the door!  
I'm not the man I was before!  
Where the hell are you-  
When I need you?!_

"They weren't supposed to know, they weren't supposed to know, oh, Force, they _weren't supposed to know!!"_

Ventress fell back into Obi-Wan's arms, sobbing hysterically. Obi-Wan did his best to comfort her, but he wasn't feeling too much better. It was all he could do to keep his own tears in check. That was that, he realized. Their lives were about over now. It was all over. They would expel him from the order, Ventress would be turned over to the Senate for trial, and Obi-Wan would follow her to the grave with a blaster bolt through the brain. Shaak Ti could deliver the bolt. She was the one who had to have that stupid vision…but, deep down, Obi-Wan knew that he had no one but himself to blame. Maybe not even himself. Shaak Ti couldn't help the circumstances, nor could she have helped having the vision. He couldn't help his own feelings. He could never get Qui-Gon's defiance to fully leave him, anyway. And now, as he stood in the hallway outside the Council room while the rest of the Jedi masters screamed at each other, he was fully preparing himself for a confrontational encounter. Ventress was too upset to attack anyone, anyway. Obi-Wan wasn't worried about her just yet.

Their presence drew stares, especially the fact that Ventress was practically wrapped around Obi-Wan. He embraced her in return, rather shamelessly at this point, staring absently out the window at the other end of the hallway. Although his arms were wrapped around her intimately, so closely, his mind was far away. His hands rested in the small of her back and in between her shoulder blades; her head rested on his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his neck. She couldn't bring herself to lift her face; he was staring up and away, trying to comprehend why life was so unfair. He was just taking in the shouting on the other side of the door in the Council room. It was all he could manage to do at this point. Several more Jedi stopped, doing the same thing as he, but they left within the next few minutes, not understanding the conversation going on. And frankly, Obi-Wan didn't blame them.

"You saw what they did to her, she can't possibly be pursuing the dark side anymore!" Shaak Ti's voice, usually calm and soft, had risen to a feverish pitch, and was now rising above every other voice in the room, overpowering and drowning out even Mace Windu's deep, booming voice. "Hell, she even went as far as to ask us to help her pursue the light side, she let one of our masters into her mind, she-Force damn it, why can't you see that she isn't going to kill us all in our sleep?!"

"This isn't about Ventress so much as it is about Obi-Wan!" Mace returned. "If he's sleeping with her, he can't be allowed to remain in the Order!"

"Well, maybe it's time for a change!" Kit Fisto interjected. "Times have changed since Master Yoda's Padawan days, maybe we should change, too!"

"We can't risk changing right now!" Even Piell threw in. "If we change our ways in the middle of war, we might send ourselves right into our own graves!"

"Well, Obi-Wan is going to send himself into his own grave if he loses her or his status as a Jedi!" Adi Gallia pulled out. "I'm with Kit! We can't just remain the same while the universe changes around us. What worked in the past won't always work in the future! It's different now!"

"Allow this Order to fall, I will not!" Somehow, Yoda had gotten his voice to match the pitch of every other, much younger Jedi in the room as him. "Be hasty about this, we. Can. Not!"

"If we can't adapt to our surroundings, we will fall!" Shaak Ti shrieked. "When the day comes that we are willing to sacrifice one of our senior members just because of staunch, old, dried-up rules that will be the day we will fall. And _that day is today!!"_

"We are becoming as corrupt as the damn Senate!" Mace cried. "Someone needs to do something, now!"

Everything was suddenly silent on the other side of the door.

Obi-Wan gently placed his hands over Ventress's ears, deciding it was best for her not to hear what came next. Surely, it would be another explosive finale to a beautiful fireworks show. Ventress shook her head slightly, dismissing Obi-Wan's concern. "I've heard far worse," she whispered, closing her eyes and leaning against his chest. His heartbeat echoed throughout the hollow cavity in his body, a soothing rhythm to Ventress. "This is tea and crackers compared to what Lord Tyranus, Lord Sidious, and General Grievous could get themselves into. And then you throw in the Separatist board? Oh, forget it. I had to pull my sabers on those idiot politicians several times before they shut up."

"What, your voice didn't suffice?" Obi-Wan whispered.

Ventress shook her head. "Thick-headed fools," she muttered. "They had no idea I wasn't just another idiot politician to shout over. Not even Lord Tyranus could get them under control sometimes without a blade."

Obi-Wan smiled softly, and then flinched as another shouting match punctured his eardrums. "Ah, Master Ti," he muttered. "She usually has such a wonderful, soothing voice…"

"She's got something going for her, though," Ventress murmured, wrapping her arms around Obi-Wan's waist. "She could do well in a political arena. Listen to that debate."

Mace Windu was shouting at Shaak Ti again, and Obi-Wan could see it clearly in his mind: Shaak Ti baring her rumored-to-be-poisonous fangs, making in-your-face gestures with her fine-boned hands to make herself appear bigger and more threatening, lowing those deadly horns to make herself look more aggressive…and then there was Mace. He would be puffing out his chest, leaning forward, opening his mouth, and bellowing with every ounce of breath he had within him. These two would be duking it out in the middle, and then everyone else would sort of pick someone and scream at them. Usually, everyone divided into teams and picked a side, and whoever was louder won.

But, unlike Obi-Wan's somewhat-exaggerated vision of this extensive fight, he could only hear Shaak Ti and Mace shouting. Change versus no change. Shaak Ti was hell-bent on allowing the Order to be as flexible as Kit's head-tail. Mace was insistent that if they had gotten this far, they could get farther. Shaak Ti pointed out that there hadn't been a war before like this, and the Senate had never been this corrupt, and it had never been exactly this sort of situation…she had won this one, Obi-Wan decided. And Mace seemed to realize it too, changing the subject and chasing her around like a mad bull. Shaak Ti refused to back down, however, her stubborn nature showing through as true as the day she was born. Mace finally gave up with a spectacular shout of, "Well, fine! Let's put it to a vote!"

Yoda seemed to be in charge of the vote; his croaking, gravelly voice rang out soon enough, bringing everyone else to attention. "In favor of revising not our rules, those of you are, to the other side of the room, go. By Master Piell, stand."

There was a pause, and Obi-Wan could heart he decided steps of several people getting up and moving. After Yoda had waited long enough, Obi-Wan heard: "Now, those of you who think that revise our rules, we should, stand by Master Ti."

There was decidedly more noise as people got up and moved, and Obi-Wan's heart began to beat faster in his chest. Ventress, too, seemed suddenly on edge; Obi-Wan raised a hand to one of hers, catching her slender wrist in his hand and bringing it around to rest on his shoulder. He placed his thumb on the inside of her wrist, checking for a pulse while holding her hand with his other four fingers. When he found her heartbeat, it was swift, but strong and regular. He placed a soft, swift kiss on her forehead, whispering, "It'll be alright. Whatever happens, I'm with you."

The door opened, and the two broke apart.

"Alright, come back," Mace said gruffly, waiting by the door for the Jedi and the Sith to pass through. The doors cycled closed again, and Mace entered the room.

"You probably heard, so I'll keep this quick," Mace continued. "We put it to a vote, whether or not to check our rules and revise them to fit the changing galaxy. Those standing by Master Piell are those who think we should not change, and those standing by Master Ti are those who think we should change."

"And those standing in the middle?" Obi-Wan asked slowly.

"Undecided."

Obi-Wan immediately crossed to the "change" side. He took a look around him; sitting in her own chair was Shaak Ti, looking thunderous. Standing directly beside her and to her right was Kit Fisto. To her left was Adi Gallia. Behind her stood Plo Koon, Agen Kolar, and Saesee Tiin. Over by Even Piell stood Ki-Adi-Mundi, Oppo Rancisis, and Eth Koth. Yoda stood in exactly the middle of the circular room, careful not to choose a side until he had to. "I'm abstaining," Mace said, "for sake of fairness and the fact that we would have an even number of voters."

Ventress nodded slowly, and stepped off to the side. She leaned against the wall, keeping her eyes down, and folding her arms across her chest. She avoided meeting anyone's eyes, even Obi-Wan's, for fear of someone seeing exactly what she was thinking. Not like they didn't already…

"It's over," she whispered. "Even if Master Yoda votes no, it'll still be six to five. You have to change."

Mace sighed, and ran a hand back over his shaved head. "I know," he replied. "I just need to go through with it…just…for the closure, I guess. I need to see it…"

Yoda took a step towards the anti-change side of the room, grunting slightly as he wobbled across the room. He only got three steps, however, before resting both of his hands on his gimer stick and bowing his head over his clasped hands. "Spoken, the Force has," he said slowly, "very strongly, spoken, it has, through the mouths of Masters Ti and Fisto. And so, argue, we cannot, with their logic. The Force itself, within them, speaks, it does." Yoda shook his head sadly. "Sorry, I am. But optioning for change, I am." Yoda turned around, and hobbled over to Shaak Ti's side of the room. It took him the entire agonizing part of fifteen seconds to get there, and when he did get there, Shaak Ti rose out of respect. Yoda smiled up at her, ears curling slightly outwards.

"Master Ti, have my gratitude, do you."

Shaak Ti seemed confused. "You have my gratitude for causing one of the biggest fights to ever break out in here?"

"You make it sound like this is a regular occurrence," Mace said slowly. Shaak Ti shrugged.

"Bi-annual, I would swear. Every other meeting, some fist fight happens, some way or another."

Yoda shook his head sadly. "Because changing, the Order was, however much I fought it." He sighed swiftly, and glanced up at Shaak Ti. "Change, the Jedi should, to meet the galaxy's needs."

Ventress breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, something was happening for the better. Mace looked slightly chagrined, but said nothing. He offered a hand to Ventress in truce, which she hesitantly accepted. Mace let go quickly, and then returned to his seat. He sank down into it, putting his face in his hands and resting his elbows on his knees. Ventress went over to Obi-Wan, a smile finally teasing at the corners of her lips. Obi-Wan met her halfway, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into his embrace. The two of them shared a short, tentative kiss, and then hugged each other again. Shaak Ti seemed rather pleased with herself, if not slightly confused. She gently patted Obi-Wan on the shoulder as she walked past them, offering a hand to each of the Council members on the opposing side.

"We'll meet tomorrow again at noon exactly. Standard time. Right here. Sharp. I'll have a copy of the official Jedi Code with me."

Obi-Wan barely registered that Mace had spoken. He was too deep in shock.

**A/N: For the first time in this entire fic, lyrics are not from Bye Bye Beautiful. They are actually from Wake Up, by Three Days' Grace. Good song. Anyway, review.**


	15. Chapter 15

"Master Jedi, I do accept that your order will be adjusting its principles, but will you really be allowing one of your best members to be involved with a former Sith? So romantically as to have a child?"

Mace Windu glanced first to his left, and then to his right. Shaak Ti, and then Yoda, caught his gaze. The Togruta Jedi took her cue, and stepped up to the plate. "Supreme Chancellor Palpatine," she started smoothly, "we are dealing with Ventress as swiftly and justly as we can. We have decided to deal with her ourselves, and not involve the Senate at all. She is a Sith assassin, and has acted as one in this war. Never once has she come across as a politician, an accomplice to a politician, or even expressed that she has political views. She associates with a certain political party, but to that extent, so do the Jedi. We see it fit to deal with her according to our own rules and principles."

"But has there ever been any romanticism involved in prior situations?" Palpatine retaliated, resting his elbows on his desk and touching the tips of his fingers together. "Master Ti, forgive my ignorance, but she has committed capitol crimes against the Republic, regardless of her Force-sensitivity, and I believe that she should be tried in the Senate accordingly."

"On the contrary, Chancellor," Shaak Ti countered. "Her Force-sensitivity has everything to do with it. Forgive me if I seem rude, but I will speak as bluntly as I may without disrespect: you would not understand why we are pushing so strongly for this, because you are not Force-sensitive. I beg of you, please, accept that there will be differences on our perspective of the world because we are Force-sensitive, and you are not."

Palpatine seemed rather taken aback at Shaak Ti's rebuke, but took it in stride. Shaak Ti sat before him, her back ramrod straight, hands folded in her lap. She wore her outer robe, concealing her lightsaber, but Palpatine's guards were careful to keep an eye on it. Shaak Ti speaking so boldly also drew their attention. They eyed her warily, as if they expected her to try something. Shaak Ti sat perfectly still, holding her head up and matching Palpatine eye-to-eye. Palpatine was feeling slightly intimidated by the Jedi master: he had seen her prowess with blade and Force both, and was not eager to pit himself or his guards against her. He doubted she would get angry-she was a Jedi, after all-but it never hurt to not tempt fate.

"I never meant to assume, Master Ti," Palpatine said finally, attempting to satiate the Jedi master. "But you must also respect that I am not Force-sensitive. If you would be so kind as to explain why this is such a Jedi affair, rather than a political affair?"

Shaak Ti was getting frustrated at this point. Whatever happened to trusting the Jedi? Palpatine wanted an explanation for everything, and sometimes, he wouldn't consent to something even with the explanation. Shaak Ti could swear he was deliberately trying to undermine them. She took a deep breath, gathered her thoughts, released all her irritation into the Force, and tried to explain to Palpatine what he was demanding of her. "Ventress followed the dark side of the Force," Shaak Ti began. She was trying to dumb it down to idiot level, so Palpatine couldn't possibly say that she left anything out. "We Jedi follow the light side. Ventress crossed over to the light side from the dark side. She had a horrible past, none that I would ever wish on anyone," _even you, _"and that drove her into depression. This depression led her to anger; she needed someone to blame. And so, she gave in to her anger, and began walking the path of the dark side. She simply had no direction, no guidance. And so, she followed her base instincts. She grew up on the dark side, and apprenticed herself to Count Dooku hoping to become a Sith. She fought for him, obeying his every whim and whine hoping she could prove herself worthy in his eyes. Once she met Obi-Wan, she figured out that he actually, truly cared about her, and she realized that Dooku was only using her: like everyone else in her life. Now, once Obi-Wan managed to capture her, they were still just friends. And he started pulling her away from the dark side. That was when Ventress started seeing the world in this new light. When she was returned to the Sith, they tortured her in the hopes that they could make her hate enough to root her forever in the dark side. Instead, she grew distressed, and called out to the only person she trusted-through the Force, mind you-and that person was Obi-Wan. He found her, and the two cemented their relationship. He brought her back to the light, healing her using the light side. When we got Ventress back to the Temple and healed, she expressed interest in pursuing the light side of the Force. We were happy to help steer her onto that path. She is also due to have a baby, which she cannot do if she is within a Senate trial."

Palpatine, to his credit, only looked a small bit shocked. He didn't look ready to relent, though. "Look, Master Ti, I have no interest in Ventress's personal life, nor whatever affair she holds with your Jedi. That is your business. But I am interested in her public life, such as during the war. And during the war, all she did was act as an unstoppable assassin for the Separatists."

"But her personal life is the cause for all of this, you must understand that," Mace interjected. "You expressed interest in her motives, and why this was a Jedi affair. We are telling you. And now you are telling me it means nothing? Chancellor, as my colleague stated, I do not mean to be rude, but perhaps it is I who needs some clarification."

Palpatine met Mace's gaze with his own steely glare. "Master Windu, I am afraid that, in this case, I do need to override the opinion of the Jedi in this matter. I am placing Asajj Ventress under military arrest for her crimes against the Republic."

"You can't do that!" Shaak Ti blurted out. "It clearly states in the Constitution that the Jedi have jurisdiction over all things involving the Force, and the Chancellor has jurisdiction over everything political. I refuse to surrender custody of her to you, and my rights to do so are clearly spelled out in the Constitution!"

"The Constitution is in shambles," Palpatine snapped. "You have no authority anymore!"

"Is that what this is about?" Shaak Ti growled, hands clenching and unclenching. The red-cloaked guards near the door and to either side of Palpatine stepped forward. "Just say it," Shaak Ti whispered. "Right here, in front of all these witnesses. Just. Say. It." _I dare you._

Palpatine rose to his feet, looking appalled. "You, Master Ti, might be the one with confessing to do," he snarled, looking angrier by the second. "Seeking to undermine the authority of the Chancellor over the matter of a traitor to the Republic?"

"Chancellor, you said it yourself," Mace said, also rising, "the Jedi have no real authority anymore. And where did that power all go?"

"To you, it went," Yoda said sagely, eyes bulging and ears curling. "Seek to undermine you, the Jedi never would. But seek to undermine the Jedi, the Chancellor might."

"This meeting is at an end," Palpatine said curtly. "I am going to ask you to leave."

Shaak Ti stood up, eyes burning like hot coals as she did so. Yoda hopped down off the chair in front of Palpatine's desk he had been seated in, leaning heavily on his cane as he started for the door. As the Jedi reached the door, Palpatine sank back into his seat, and his guards returned to their positions. As Mace was opening the door, however, Palpatine added, "My agents will be by at oh-three hundred hours to secure Ventress."

Shaak Ti paused in her step, her back stiffening. Her hands twitched; her lekku jumped. Mace placed a hand on her shoulder, and pushed her gently, but firmly out into the hallway. As they walked, Mace could feel her pouring out all her negative energy into the Force. Still, she could barely siphon off enough energy to keep herself under control. Yoda stopped, and half-turned to see Palpatine's face as he announced, "Be ready for them, we will." And, on that note, he left.

Palpatine swore to himself. If Yoda was pulling something…he hurriedly excused himself from his red guards, escaping into his private quarters adjacent to his office. Palpatine might not be able to deal with this, but Darth Sidious was quite capable of showing these foolish Jedi exactly what they were up against…

OOOOOOOOOO

Obi-Wan hurried down the hallways, Ventress at his side. He was responding to a holo-message that had called an emergency Council meeting. Those who were not on-world were to attend by hologram. No exceptions, unless you were in a life-or-death situation. Obi-Wan waved aside the door to the Council chamber with a wave of the Force, and moved swiftly into the room. He took his seat, noticing with chagrin that he was the last one into the room. Every other Council member was there, either in hologram or in person. Obi-Wan took his seat, and Ventress stood respectfully behind him and slightly to his left.

"We have bad news," Mace started. "The Chancellor has been trying to undermine the Jedi's authority, and recognized it in front of myself, Master Yoda, and Master Ti. Needless to say, we are not in a good position here. He is also sending several of his agents to escort Ventress to prison to await trial within the Senate."

Obi-Wan and Ventress shared a panicked glance. "Is there any way we can stop it?" Ventress gasped.

"Yes," Shaak Ti said. "But only one. The only thing that would warrant excuse from a Senate trial: a medical issue. Are you on your period?"

Ventress blushed slightly. "Little personal," she mumbled. "But no."

Shaak Ti sighed. "Crap…no, you can pretty much use that as an excuse to get out of anything. And the Chancellor is a male, so he's especially easy to fool…"

Mace glanced at Shaak Ti. "How many times have you used that as an excuse?"

"Plenty," Shaak Ti muttered. "But that's not important right now." She turned back to Ventress and Obi-Wan, who were both looking like their heads might explode any moment now. "You pregnant yet?"

Ventress's flush grew even deeper. "Hey! You only gave us a couple hours. Even we can't accomplish anything in that amount of time!"

"Even you," Kit snickered. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Grow up!" Shaak Ti snapped. Kit looked down, an overly guilty expression on his face. Shaak Ti sighed, and put her face in her hands. "Alright, look," she said, dragging her palms out across her cheeks, "you can either get pregnant, like, now, or lie. I don't think lying is going to work, because I get the distinct warning that they will be checking for any medical ailments. We can pull the 'how dare you, I'm a lady,' but they might not fall for it…"

Obi-Wan sighed. "This is hopeless," he said. "How are we going to get her out of this, let alone regain our position in the Republic?"

"There are security cameras in Palpatine's office, correct?" Agen Kolar asked. "Why not just pull a clip from that, broadcast it to the general public, and finger someone in the Senate?"

"That could work," Mace said. "Only one problem: we're Jedi. We don't lie, or cheat, or pull dirty, underhanded moves like that. Despite our recently-revised rules, we still haven't changed our very core principles: we are keepers of the peace. We don't involve ourselves in politics, we are not soldiers, and we do not start anything stupid. This entire affair is stupid."

"Jedi mind trick?" Saesee offered. "Then, technically, it's not our fault if the guards fall for it."

"We can't," Mace said, shaking his head. His tone indicated that he was disgusted with himself; his dark eyes were downcast, depressed, deep in thought. "That would be just as bad as outright lying."

"I won't even suggest bribery," Adi chimed in. Kit glanced at her, and then at the seat next to her: Obi-Wan's.

"What are you two still doin' here?" he asked. "Get outta here and get a room!"

"Much as I would love to," Ob-Wan said, maintaining a perfectly straight face, "I'm sure Master Ti can tell us exactly when this was supposed to happen."

"Don't finger me!" Shaak Ti said, holding up her hands. "I didn't exactly choose to have this vision."

"Well, can we induce another one?" Adi asked. "If you had a lot of contact with her, and that brought it about, maybe more will give you another one."

"It won't matter," Shaak Ti said. "It won't be set in stone. I can't predict something as precise as the time. It just doesn't work that way."

Yoda sighed softly, curling up into a ball as he usually did when he was thinking. "Down a dark road, this path leads," he said. "Abandon the path, we must."

Ventress looked confused. "I can fall and break my ankle."

"You're not that clumsy," Obi-Wan pointed out. "You're actually very graceful, and Force help us the day you lose your balance so randomly and end up falling hard enough to break a bone."

Ventress shook her head. "Then my only option is to run."

"We can't let you do that," Mace said. "The dark side and the Republic and the Separatists all pursue you for different reasons. At least here, you have some measure of protection."

"I can take care of myself," Ventress argued. "I'm not a fragile little girl."

"Even Master Yoda couldn't fight against all those odds stacked against him," Mace said. "Let's face facts, Ventress: you can't win."

Ventress bowed her head slowly, thinking as hard as she could. There had to be a way…there had to be another way…she closed her eyes, sinking deep into the Force, anchoring herself to Obi-Wan and using him as a tether to hold herself to the light. She began searching through the Force, repeating to herself: _there has to be a way, there has to be a way…_this became her guiding mantra as she waded through the ever-flowing river of the Force's pattern of life, searching for the answer she feared she would never find. The looming shadow of the Sith appeared high on the horizon, threatening to black out her sun. Ventress squared her shoulders, and faced her fear. _I am not afraid of you, _she told the phantom firmly. And the shadow seemed to vanish.

_The Constitution, _something whispered. _The Constitution…_

Ventress hurriedly withdrew from the Force, heart leaping to her chest. That was it! Look within the Constitution itself for her answer. She glanced around the circle of Jedi masters, surveying each one in turn. All of them were looking at her expectantly, as if they knew she would find an answer to the problem.

"Does anyone have a copy of the Constitution close?"

**A/N: You'll see…I'll explain later. Alright, so, I am looking for a hundred reviews this chapter. I need nine more reviews for this story to hit one hundred and, if we can hit one hundred this chapter, I will give you the next TWO chapters on the same day! :D Exciting, huh? Thought so! So start hitting the magic button!!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Well, I asked, and you gave! :D I would like to thank every single person who reviewed: you all made my day! I asked for one hundred, and got one hundred and five. That's fifteen reviews, people! Stunning and amazing! I am flattered and floored by the response to this story. But please, don't slack off! Keep reviewing! It keeps me motivated, and gets the chapters out faster. So again, thank you to all those who reviewed. You're all awesome!! And the lucky peeps are:**

**duckmasta2020**

**Isis the Sphinx (x2)**

**ARC13**

**crush**

**PellinorFanatic**

**yellow14**

**Sn3akyN00b**

**Silver-ShadowSpark**

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"Okay, look. Here."

Ventress pointed to a single line in the document reader the Jedi Council and the lone, former Sith were currently clustered around. Ventress tapped one long, pale finger against the words, reading aloud: "This is exactly what you told Palpatine, Master Ti: 'Anything having to do with the Force, its properties, and its effects, immediately falls under the jurisdiction of the Jedi Order, with no exceptions. Any matter of politics falls under the jurisdiction of the Chancellor, without exception.' He's completely defying the Constitution."

"So how do you plan on fixing it?" Mace asked. Ventress looked up from the document, and then looked around the circle of Jedi that stood around her.

"Who here is very small in stature?"

The Jedi moved apart, singling out Yoda. Ventress dropped to one knee in front of the Jedi master, bringing herself down to Palpatine's level. "Infiltrate his office," she said, "without letting him know you're there. Get a hold of that security recording that shows him outright saying that the Jedi have no authority anymore. Once we have that, we will move to impeach him."

"Forcibly remove him office?" Mace asked incredulously. "Can we do that?"

"Well, yes," Shaak Ti said, brow markings rising. "Look, it says here: 'if any or all of the above conditions are violated, the offending party is subject to corrective action from the party who has been wronged. For Jedi, this could mean expulsion from the Order. For the Chancellor, this may mean being removed from office. These terms include but are not limited to the aforementioned consequences.' We can get him on that!"

"What would we charge him with, though?" Obi-Wan murmured, raising one hand to thoughtfully stroke his beard.

"We can get him for going against the Constitution," Ventress said. "That's all that matters." She turned to Yoda again and asked, "How fast can you get that recording?"

Yoda bowed his head, thinking it over. "Anywhere from several hours to several minutes, it might take," he finally said. "But in time to save you, the recording should arrive."

"We need to move now," Shaak Ti said. "I'll make the arrest."

"I'll come, too," Agen Kolar said.

"And me," Seasee Tiin offered.

"Good," Shaak Ti said. "One more?"

"Me," Adi Gallia said. Shaak Ti nodded.

"Alright, then," she said. "Master Yoda, meet us in the courts. Keep your comlink on, and keep it tuned to my channel. We'll use it to communicate, so keep an ear on it. Master Windu, the same." Shaak Ti pulled out her spare comlink, and tossed it to Ventress. "Take this," she said. "My channel is alpha-zeta-six-five-delta. Keep it there, and don't change it under any circumstances. Stay with Obi-Wan; Master Kenobi, don't let her out of your sights. In the meantime, work on a backup plan in case we fail."

Obi-Wan nodded wordlessly, turning to Ventress and beckoning her after him. The two headed off together, and Shaak Ti dropped her outer robe right where she stood.

"Let's kick this pig."

OOOOOOOOOO

The doors to Palpatine's office slammed open.

Palpatine jumped up from his chair as four Jedi, headed by the imposing Togruta Shaak Ti, entered his office, looking positively thunderous. Two guards spun in each side of the door; Shaak Ti waved aside with a sharp flick of the Force. "Supreme Chancellor Palpatine," she started, walking right up to the Chancellor's desk, "you are under arrest. By outright defying the Constitution in front of several witness, including myself, you have committed an act of treason, and you will be tried by the Senate."

Agen Kolar and Adi Gallia ignited their lightsabers, and moved in to make the arrest. They flanked Palpatine as Saesee Tiin used his telepathic Force powers to keep the situation under control. The red-robed guards in the room seemed to be confused as to what to do: they had never dealt with the arrest of a chancellor before. Shaak Ti kept an eye on the door, just in case any unwanted visitors arrived. Palpatine took a step back, his face suddenly hardening into flinted steel.

"I _am _the Senate!" he growled, his posture suddenly turning aggressive.

"Not yet!" Shaak Ti shot back. "And we are taking action to assure that that never happens! Your reign of corruption is at an end, Chancellor!"

Adi Gallia grabbed one of Palpatine's arms, and Agen Kolar reached for the other. Palpatine seemed to be fighting with himself: fight back, or just give up. "We have witnesses and undeniable proof in the form of a security recording that we can use against you," Shaak Ti continued as the Chancellor was placed in stun cuffs. "And you will be expelled from this very Senate forever!"

Saesee Tiin glanced at Shaak Ti. "Where to?" he mouthed. Shaak Ti's face seemed to harden into amber stone before his very eyes.

"The same cell he had set aside for Asajj Ventress."

OOOOOOOOOO

Yoda crawled through the ventilation shafts, using the Force to move as quickly as quietly as he could. He knew exactly where the Chancellor's office was: he had done this before. And, as he did, he got the vague, foreboding sense that he would be doing it again. Yoda checked his coordinates one last time as he approached a ventilation grate: this was the right one. Yoda carefully dislodged the grate using the Force, lifted it up and to the other side of the shaft, and then gently set it down. He stretched out within the Force, searching for life-forms: ah, perfect. Master Ti had just made the arrest, and she had the masters she had taken with her were moving down the hallways, presumably headed for the prisons. Or the Senate. Wherever Shaak Ti could better restrain herself from making Palpatine's life as miserable as possible. Palpatine's red guards had dispersed, presumably out of confusion and lack of anything better to do. Yoda happily jumped down out of the vent, scurrying over to the security console and jumping up into a chair. He immediately typed in the pass code to access the security files: they popped up immediately, and Yoda typed in the time frame he wanted. The little alien worked quickly and efficiently: he needed to get this done, and done right, before someone stumbled in on him.

Yoda found the data he was looking for, and a smile crossed his face. Good: now, just download it to his comlink, and forward it to the Jedi Temple. Shaak Ti had someone waiting to receive it, last time he had spoken with her. They were both on their separate ways to the Chancellor's office, and Shaak Ti had commed him to let him know what to do with the data he acquired. Yoda followed her directions, and heard the affirmative _beep! _of the message sending. He nodded once to himself, and then logged off the control console. He used the Force again to launch himself back up into the ventilation shaft, and then to replace the grate. Chuckling softly to himself. Yoda made his escape.

OOOOOOOOO

Obi-Wan took Ventress away as soon as Shaak Ti gave the order. He pulled her into his room, and the two of them headed into the living room. Their backup plan was hastily decided in little more than two words on the way to Obi-Wan's apartment: get pregnant, and get pregnant _now._

Anakin was sitting on the couch, reading a book.

He glanced up as the two walked in, hand in hand, and his expression immediately darkened. "I heard," he said curtly, as Obi-Wan opened his mouth to explain. "Don't worry, I'll let you two have a moment."

"Might want to take a walk," Obi-Wan suggested. "We'll try to be quiet, but…"

Anakin's face paled as he took Obi-Wan's meaning. "That's gonna be one hell of a baby," he muttered, standing up and setting aside his book. Obi-Wan raised a brow.

"Exactly how much did you hear?" he asked cautiously. Anakin shrugged ambiguously.

"Just the revisions to the Code," he said. "Those were broadcast right after the meeting they had to change it. And everyone's been gossiping about you two: I think it was Coleman who let it slip. He's a notorious gossiper."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I could believe that," he said dryly. "Now, we need to get her pregnant before…forty minutes pass, so if you please-?"

"Time to leave now and not allowed to stay under any circumstances?"

"Oh, that is one question you will always get right!"

Anakin sighed shortly, and pushed his sandy blonde hair out of his eyes. "You two have fun," he said, smiling mischievously at Obi-Wan and Ventress. "Master…creature."

Ventress glared daggers at Anakin. Oh, if looks could kill…Obi-Wan gently reached across her body, taking her other hand in his and diverting her attention from Anakin. "Now," he whispered, "Where were we?"

Anakin left very, very quickly after that.

OOOOOOOOO

"Yes! It's blue."

Ventress opened the door to the bathroom forty-one minutes later, holding a piece of plastic in her hand. "Success," she said, walking out into the living room. Obi-Wan was sitting on the couch, nervously waiting for Ventress to take her pregnancy test. "Nice job."

"Thanks?"

Ventress smiled, and tossed the plastic to Obi-Wan. "Here, get rid of this."

Obi-Wan hesitantly caught the plastic with the Force, unwilling to let it touch skin or carpet. "Oh, beautiful," he muttered, using the Force to send the test down the kitchen sink's garbage disposal. The metal teeth ground the plastic to dust immediately, and Ventress retreated to the bathroom to wash her hands. The rush of the water came on and off several times, and then, Ventress re-emerged, gently rubbing her wrists to dry them further.

"Okay, so, that takes care of that," she said, sitting down next to Obi-Wan. He immediately scooted closer to her, putting his arm around her and placing a soft kiss on her lips. Ventress returned it, and then let her head fall to Obi-Wan's shoulder. For a moment, she could just sit and enjoy his company: the sweet smell of his body, mixed with the smallest hint of sweat and combining with the soft aroma of his hair where it graced his shoulder. The auburn locks were long enough to go past Obi-Wan's shoulders, if he ever straightened it. Ventress had gotten the urge to do that several times since she had known him, but somehow now more than ever. She inched closer to Obi-Wan, pressing their hips together and moving closer still. Obi-Wan's embrace tightened around her protectively, and Ventress smiled softly in satisfaction. It was so nice to just be able to sit with him, without fear of being discovered…by anyone. They no longer needed to fear for their lives, their careers, and each other.

A knock sounded on the door.

"Are you finished?" Anakin called in.

"Yes," Obi-Wan called back. The door opened, but Ventress didn't move to detach herself from Obi-Wan. She instead closed her eyes, her breathing softening and lengthening. Obi-Wan subtly infused her body with calming energies from the Force: Anakin was bound to say something extraordinarily rude or blunt-

"So, I almost stepped on a skink outside. Any idea what that's doing here?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Not a clue," he said very honestly. He was impressed: Anakin hadn't said anything stupid so far! But, as his former Padawan stepped into the room and came over to stand by him, he tacked on,

"Speaking of cold-blooded reptiles, is she pregnant yet? Or are you going to try again once I get my snack and head out again?"

Obi-Wan sighed, shook his head, and responded, "Yes, Anakin, she is pregnant. And now, we have a backup plan in case Master Ti fails in her plan."

Anakin's eyebrows came together between his eyes. "Story?" he requested. Obi-Wan shook his head again.

"Council business. But, long story short, we are evading a Senate trial."

Anakin snorted softly. "I can see why," he murmured. "They would tear her to shreds. Anyway, doesn't she fall under our jurisdiction, being as she is Force-sensitive and not involved with politics in any way?"

"That's what we thought," Obi-Wan sighed. "But the Chancellor is being rather stubborn about this."

Anakin exhaled slowly, softly, through his nose. He slowly walked over to the pair sitting on the couch, and sat down where there was more room: next to Ventress. "So, Holonet just made a broadcast that says the Chancellor was arrested." He set his elbows on his spread knees, and let his hands hang down between them. "Would that have anything to do with it?"

Obi-Wan felt an uncontrollable smile work its way across his face. "Ah, it has everything to do with it," he said softly. "Oh, thank the Force…we're all safe."

Ventress's icy blue eyes hesitantly slid open, and her hand travelled down to her stomach. "So, do you still want the baby?"

"Of course," Obi-Wan said, sounding rather appalled. "This child is breaking down barriers, Ventress. Besides, it's an expression of our love for each other and our unity. How can you think that I wouldn't want it?"

"Her," Ventress said softly. "It's a girl."

Obi-Wan raised a brow. "How do you know?" he asked. Ventress smiled. Instead of answering, she reached over, took his free hand, and guided it to her stomach. She set his hand down on her abdomen, and waited for a moment. Obi-Wan focused within the Force, searching for the tiny signature that would be Ventress's baby. He seemed both shocked and delighted when he found it.

"Oh, my…Asajj, it's beautiful!"

Ventress smiled, and leaned on Obi-Wan once again. "She has her father's eyes," she whispered. "I can see her in the Force already: she has her father's eyes and nose, her mother's mouth, some of her father's hair, her mother's skin and figure, and her father's Force-sensitivity. Obi-Wan, she'll be a Jedi."

Anakin, however, was beyond appreciating this. While he and Padme had had sex, he wasn't worried about pregnancies just yet. _Some _people knew how to use protection. He rolled his eyes, stood up, and left. "Yeah, so by way of explanation, I get a love story and a baby," he said, heading into the kitchen. "Thank you so much! I definitely needed that!"

Ventress smiled softly, and closed her eyes. "Is he going to wake up in the middle of the night screaming?" she asked. But, despite the caring overtones of the question, her undertones and facial expressions were decidedly bored and uncaring.

"No," Obi-Wan said lightly.

"Then I don't care. Baby in three months, and morning sickness in one. I have enough to worry about, and stress isn't good for the baby."

**A/N: This chapter's title is: AWKWARD!!**


	17. Chapter 17

The cadence of synchronized footfalls alerted gate master Jurrok to their approach.

Armored in white slashed by the stark black of their rifles, helmets outlines by a gaunt black line, they came. The clones. Headed by five of the Chancellor's own Red Guards, they marched in perfect tandem: an entire squadron. _This much trouble for someone they can't even arrest? _Jurrok thought to himself silently. _The Chancellor must want her bad…_as the clones and Red Guards approached, Jurrok stood his ground, one hand moving to the handle of his lightsaber. If it came to a fight, he didn't want to have any disadvantage he could control. The Red Guards ascended the steps to the Jedi Temple, force-pikes crossed diagonally over their chest. The top tips slanted to the left; the bottom, to the right. Though the pikes were deactivated, Jurrok was careful to listen for the tell-tale buzz of one being ignited. The middle Guard, who seemed to be the captain, held up his fist and called for a halt when he reached the top step. The clones and other Guards both stopped, and the captain walked up to Jurrok. "We are here for the prisoner Asajj Ventress," he said, voice slightly muffled by the red face cowl he wore. "We have instructions from the Chancellor to retrieve her and escort her back to one of our maximum-security prisons."

"And I have word that the Chancellor has been removed from office for outright defying the Constitution of the Republic," Jurrok returned smoothly. He tried to release all of his nervous energy into the Force: they wouldn't kill him, would they? One more strike against the Chancellor. Plus, the Red Guards and the clones both were humans: they weren't slaves to programming that said: "Do or die." They could be spoken with, rationalized with. Jurrok had no reason to fear them. Or, at least, he hoped he didn't.

The Red Guard's stiff mask hid his every facial expression. "But the Chancellor gave us his orders while he was still in office, and therefore, we have to follow," the Guard said, taking another step forward. Now, if you'll allow me-"

"Absolutely not," Jurrok said firmly. "Everything the Chancellor did while in office is now null and void, as he has been removed from office on charges of high treason. That negates every standing order he ever gave. Now, back down."

The Guard seemed to realize the fruitlessness of the argument. He was already on the losing side, and the Jedi's logic wasn't helping, either. The instead turned around and marched the soldiers away. As soon as they were out of earshot, Jurrok breathed a heavy sigh of relief. No siege on the Temple tonight.

OOOOOOOOO

Obi-Wan was enjoying the peace.

Anakin had headed out again. It was just himself and Ventress in the apartment. She was leaning on his again; he was gently running his hand up and down her spine. She was softly arching into the touches, just happy to feel the touch of another human without having searing pain accompany it. The two had watched the developing Holo-news all night; coupled with Shaak Ti's and Yoda's constant updates via comlink, everything was working out perfectly. Yoda had gotten the video clip; Shaak Ti and the rest of the Council had successfully arrested the Chancellor, and he was now awaiting trial within the Senate in a maximum security holding cell. Mace Windu had temporarily seized control of the Senate, and had called an emergency session. A new Chancellor was being elected as they spoke. After several hours of debate, several people had been nominated, among them Senator Padme Amidala, Senator Mon Mothma, and Senator Bail Organa. All of them, Obi-Wan knew personally, and knew that all of them were good, honest people, and would do everything in their power to end the war and corruption once and for all. Ventress knew none of them, and didn't particularly care. She had never been one to even know who the Chancellor was, and if his face wasn't on the Republic credits, she doubted she would ever know who it was, no matter how the scandals ran. Obi-Wan was never really much into politics, but he had to care to some extent, being on the Jedi Council, and thus being so deeply involved with the Chancellor himself. It was almost in the job description to give a damn.

Ventress gave a small shiver, and moved closer to him.

Obi-Wan looked down at her, watching as she curled into a ball and tucked herself beneath his arm. "What?" he asked softly, embracing her without question. "Cold?"

Ventress shook her head. "N-No," she stammered. "The Force…it's cold...frozen. Arctic, even. Sidious…he's here."

Obi-Wan's brow furrowed. "How does he enter and leave Coruscant so easily?" he questioned. Ventress shook her head.

"He never leaves," she said. "Dooku told you long ago that the Senate was under the control of Darth Sidious?" Obi-Wan nodded, and she continued. "Well, that Darth Sidious has a politician alter ego. Duh. So, he never has to leave Coruscant. All he has to do is mask his presence in the Force while keeping his signature of a life-form, and no one is the wiser. Not even Yoda could tell." Ventress gazed up at Obi-Wan with tranquil blue eyes. "I figured out who he was. Have you?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "The Council never did," he admitted. "We've been trying, but somehow, he always eludes us. One step ahead, we say. We get so close, and then, he's gone again. It's very frustrating."

Ventress smiled softly, and nodded. "I understand," she said. "But, think about it: I'm a former Sith. The Sith has it out for me. Wouldn't a Senate trial totally and completely damn me forever? A Sith lord, as my master, would want to shut me up. Dooku can't do it, since he's in the public eye. But Sidious can…because he's Sidious. Even if the public did know about him, it wouldn't be like with Dooku. My former master is an arrogant, self-centered person who likes to appear to any and all as an untouchable, aloof character who somehow gets all the attention while he doesn't want it. He acts impassive towards it when in fact, it is he who beckons it. So, it would have to be Sidious. Tell me, who is judge, jury, and bailiff for the Senate?"

"Chancellor Palpatine." Obi-Wan's brow furrowed. He didn't like where this was going.

"And who is totally in control of the entire Senate, so much so that not one Senator has a voice anymore?"

"…Palpatine…"

"And who was so damn insistent that I have a Senate trial, sending his own guards away from him to get me, especially when each and every person alive knew I would be sentenced to die, alone, scared, and away from the Jedi, cursing the Sith and Jedi and the entire world for leaving me alone to die?"

"…Palpatine!"

Obi-Wan turned to Ventress, a look of astonishment on his face. "Is that why you were so quiet all this time," he murmured, more of a statement than a question. "Ventress, you are a genius."

Ventress smiled softly. "Well, thank you," she said quietly. "But, hey, it's a package deal. Comes with my stunning good looks and charming personality."

"And deadly skills with a lightsaber."

"And deadly skills with anything are you kidding? I could kill you with a banana."

Obi-Wan chuckled softly. "That you could," he said, shaking his head. "Well, I think Master Windu needs to know about this," he continued, reaching for his comlink. Ventress placed a hand on his arm.

"Don't," she said. "Wait until it can happen in person. If anyone intercepts the message, or overhears us, we'll all be fried bantha for dinner. We can't bring it up in the trial, anyway: we have no proof. And besides, we take him out of the Senate, he'll be done for, anyway. We can subtly give his name to the Hutts. I'll do it, so the Jedi won't even be involved. That way, we have both Sith lords. Dooku is easy to find, and control: just sic the media on him. Now that we know who he is, we'll have tabs on him for life. We'll let a few weeks go by, and then, in the grand finale of the war, we shoot the cruiser he's in as they jump to hyperspace. I'll hijack a Separatist craft."

Obi-Wan thought it over for a moment, and then nodded. "Much as the violence doesn't appeal to me, that's not a bad idea," he said thoughtfully. "Well, you take care of that. And we never had this conversation.

"Never," Ventress swore. Obi-Wan nodded once.

"Now…what?"

Ventress shrugged. "We wait," she said slowly. "Palpatine can't do anything, because the media has everything live. As soon as he is expelled from the Senate, I talk to an old friend."

Obi-Wan felt one brow arch nearly into his hairline. "And who might that be?" he asked cautiously. Ventress smiled.

"You don't wanna know."

OOOOOOOOOO

Ventress awoke to something stepping on her.

It wasn't heavy; about ten, fifteen pounds. It felt like it had claws, too. A long tail trailed along behind it as it crawled up over Ventress's back. She was lying face down, on her stomach, in bed, next to Obi-Wan. He had his arm around her waist, although rather loosely, if the creature could get all the way up her back and not wake him. Ventress slowly opened her eyes; the creature wasn't a threat, otherwise it would be dead already. Although, it might be nice to know what it was and why it was crawling over her…Ventress blinked blearily, adjusting her vision to the darkness in the room. A darker shape was silhouetted above her, looking down on her with cold, dark eyes, baring sharp teeth-

Ventress abruptly screamed.

She turned over fully, knocking the furry little creature off of her back and down into the sheets. Obi-Wan sat bolt upright, groping the lightsaber he had put down on the table next to the bed. He ignited it, and went to swipe at the creature. It curled up in a ball, and then rolled off the edge of the bed. Obi-Wan gave a sigh of relief.

"_What is it?!"_

Obi-Wan smiled, and laughed softly. "I forgot to mention," he said slowly, "We have what's called a miniature nexu around here. He's kind of here and gone; he just lives in the Temple. It looks exactly like a nexu, only bred to be tiny and kept as a pet. Sorry; he must have scared you. Someone usually leaves food out for him; if not, he catches the rodents that make it in from the sewers…"

Ventress's pounding heart and labored breath barely eased. "Yeah, thanks for letting me know," she said faintly, clutching at her chest with one hand and pulling the sheets up over her body with the other. "Might I suggest keeping the door closed at night?"

Obi-Wan smiled softly. "Will do," he said. "Now, I advise you go back to sleep. Because it is…" A brief glance at the chrono on the wall gave him the time. "One in the morning. And that's standard time."

Ventress sighed, and flopped back down on the mattress. "Force help us all," she whispered, rubbing her forehead with one hand and pulling the sheets up even more with the other. But, as soon as Obi-Wan had calmed down as well, and the two were settling back in, Anakin burst into the room, lightsaber ablaze, swinging it wildly and declaring,

"I heard screaming!"

Ventress rolled her eyes. "Little late for the show," she said. "Little Night-stalker Nexu just scared the crap out of me. Get back to bed."

Anakin looked hurt. "Then, I got up and got my lightsaber for nothing?" he sighed, and deactivated the saber. "Now where am I supposed to put my thermal detonator? If that little skunk's running around again, I can't leave it out!"

"Oh, I'll tell ya where to put it," Ventress growled, sitting up. But, in doing so, she lost the covers, revealing the only thing she had worn to bed: her scanty bra and underwear.

Anakin immediately snickered at the sight. "Oh, my," he said condescendingly. "Was that your idea, or Obi-Wan's?"

"Why, I oughtta-!"

Obi-Wan caught her with a hand around the waist. "Darling," he said, the sweetest of sarcastic tones in his voice, "Please, don't turn around…while I enjoy the thong, I'm not sure Anakin does. He's not worth it, I promise."

Ventress suddenly paled-even further-as she remembered that her tiny underwear was the result of a thong. Wonderful. She usually wore it to avoid a panty line, what with the shorts and the wraps, it was rather embarrassing. But now, it probably wasn't necessary…and she had never gotten new underwear. "Crap," Ventress muttered, slowly backing up. She sat down first, pulled the sheets over her waist, and then turned her back to Anakin. "Good night, insolent child," she said, as firmly and nastily as she could. Anakin snickered again.

"Good night, cold-blooded reptile stripper."

A high-heeled shoe lodged by the stiletto heel in the wall mere hairs' breadths from Anakin's head.

"_Good night, Anakin!!"_

**A/N: Awkwardness again!! :D But this is a little more fun. You guys out there, enjoy the fanart soon to be coming your way. You girls, enjoy that the fact that some men have the decency to let you know. :D And while you do that, review.**


	18. Chapter 18

Ventress set her hands in her lower back, leaning back slightly to relieve the weight of her pregnancy. After a mere month of carrying her child, her stomach was already swollen, and the side effects of carrying the baby were beginning to set in. And Ventress knew they would only get worse. She was plagued by cramps, back pain, exhaustion, and mood swings. Morning sickness had set in as well, and Ventress found herself vomiting up half of what she ate. Obi-Wan tried to help her through it, but he knew next to nothing about pregnancies, let alone those of Rattatakis. Ventress was doing her best to explain it to him without making anything incredibly awkward, but it usually ended up that way anyway. Now, however, was a rare intimate moment between the two. Obi-Wan came up behind Ventress and put his arms around her, placing one hand on her stomach. Ventress smiled slightly, and placed one of her hands atop his.

"She keeps kicking."

Obi-Wan set his head on her shoulder, smiling as well. "Feisty," he said. "She's so much like her mother already. So, do we have a name?"

"I was thinking about Raina," Ventress said. "Or maybe Electa."

Obi-Wan nodded slightly, stepping back from her, and then moving off to the side. Ventress was busy making dinner, something that she had surprised Obi-Wan with when she had first done it. "You cook?" he had asked. Ventress had answered: "I used to make dinner for myself all the time. Dooku pretty much had the same reaction as you when he found out." Here, she had smiled, and continued, "I always kind of had to make food for myself, after my parents were killed. I didn't have any siblings, so I was pretty much out for myself." It made sense, when Obi-Wan thought about it. One couldn't survive on take-out forever. Ventress pulled a knife out of one of the drawers under the counter, and began slicing a rather large vegetable with it.

"I like Raina," Obi-Wan said. "Actually, I like both names. Anyone else have a say in this besides us two?"

Ventress shook her head. "Not on my end," she said. "Anyone you want to include?"

"Maybe Shaak Ti," Obi-Wan said. "Barriss. I would ask Anakin, but he's a bit immature for that."

Ventress smiled, and set the knife down away from the cutting board. "I was actually considering the godparents, as well," she said, "and I figured Shaak Ti would be the godmother. She's smart, responsible, and she's done a lot for me. And maybe Mace could be the godfather? He's a fantastic Jedi, and he's been fair and impartial this entire time."

"I was thinking Dex," Obi-Wan said, a smile creeping across his face. "But, hearing your idea, I think I like that one better."

Ventress grinned, and dumped the chopped vegetables into the pot of boiling water she had on the stove. "Dex is great, and he's fun, but I'm not sure he would be the best choice for raising our child if we couldn't…"

"Shaak Ti's a good choice, though," Obi-Wan said. "Hey, what do you need me to do?"

"Just setting the table would be amazing," Ventress said. "For three, please."

Obi-Wan nodded, and went to the cabinets on the opposite side of the kitchen. He grabbed three plates from the top cabinet, and walked over to the table. He set the plates down, and was about to go back into the kitchen when someone knocked on the door. "Come in!" he called, staying where he was. Shaak Ti came bursting through the door excitedly, a blur of disturbing pigmentation and blinding colors. She raced over to Obi-Wan and Ventress, saying,

"Dooku's and Palpatine's trials are right now, back to back!"

Ventress and Obi-Wan shared a glance. "I'll turn the stove off," Ventress said. "Leave a note for Anakin, and I'll change."

"Now!" Shaak Ti cried, dancing elegantly back towards the door, all the grace of her species in her body at that moment. Ventress hurried into the room she shared with Obi-Wan, aiming to change out of the loose shirt and pants she was wearing now into something a bit more suited to a Senate trial. She found a long, dark robe with her things that she was certain was good enough; and it would also hide her pregnancy. The thick robe slid over her easily, flowing down around her and disguising the baby within her. Ventress raced out of the room again, meeting Obi-Wan and Shaak Ti at the door.

"I got the stove," Obi-Wan said. "And I left a note for Anakin. Let's go, before Master Ti's head explodes."

"Ten minutes is all I got," Shaak Ti said, breaking from the room. "I have a right to explode!"

Obi-Wan smiled, and hurried after her. Ventress did her best to keep up, despite her baby, and made it to the hangar in record time. Shaak Ti jumped into a four-person speeder, grabbing the control throttles and punching the engine into life. As soon as Ventress and Obi-Wan were halfway seated, she took off, racing towards the enormous Senate Rotunda. "Mace is saving us a seat in the Jedi Representation pod, but he can't keep everyone else out forever. And plus, I don't want to miss a minute of this!"

Shaak Ti resembled Anakin in piloting, only a small bit less reckless. She ducked, dived, swooped, and narrowly missed vehicle after vehicle as she wove through traffic with the ease of a champion Pod-racer. Obi-Wan clung to the sides of the craft, face paling as Shaak Ti pulled into a sharp nosedive to avoid oncoming traffic. Ventress seemed to be enjoying herself; a smile teased at the corners of her lips, and she was perfectly relaxed in the back seat. Obi-Wan was shocked that she could remain so calm in the face of such, as he called it, "suicidal maneuvering." He decided he would call Shaak Ti out on it later: for now, he really wanted to get to that trial!

Shaak Ti skidded the speeder to a stop, and Obi-Wan and Ventress jumped out immediately. Shaak Ti killed the engine, and then she jumped out as well. The Jedi and their companion jogged across the landing platform and into the Senate Chamber, choosing the door closest to the Jedi Pod. Shaak Ti flashed an identification chip at the clone guarding the door; he waved them through, and Shaak Ti pushed Obi-Wan and Ventress ahead of her. They hurried down a long, curving hallway until they reached the door marked, "JEDI." She pushed it open, and then let Obi-Wan and Ventress duck in. As the door opened, Mace turned around.

"Hey, you just missed opening announcements," he whispered. "Just silence your comms."

"Done," Shaak Ti whispered, sliding into a seat next to Mace. Ventress and Obi-Wan took the front seats: Ventress wanted Dooku to see her, if he even so much as glanced her way. She wanted both Sith lords to se her now, completely beyond their reach and doing just fine. She wanted to prove to them she didn't need them. Obi-Wan reached over and gently took Ventress's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze to remind her he was there.

"The first trial is Palpatine's," Mace said. "And then the second one is Dooku's. But it's not really a trial: Dooku is a political idealist; not a murderer. So, they'll just be negotiating the end of the war. Much as I hate to let a Sith lord go, this one falls under politics."

"I blame Palpatine-slash-Sidious," Ventress muttered. "You arrested him as Jedi arresting a Sith, he should be tried as one."

"He's not that dangerous, though," Obi-Wan murmured back. "We can make this a private Jedi affair, but we need to remove him from politics first. The Sith will be extinct, I promise you."

"I meant to tell you this earlier," Ventress said slowly, "but I gave his name to the Hutts, as well."

"And who's getting that assassination?"

"Aurra Sing."

"Oh, he's dead."

Ventress smiled, and returned her attention to the trial at hand.

Palpatine's trial was a short one. Mace Windu, Yoda, and Shaak Ti came forward with testimonials against Palpatine, and evidence of his corruption. Palpatine had next to no defense; his tactic was to try to discredit the Jedi. He failed, of course, and was sentenced to be removed from office immediately. He was never to enter politics again, and was not to enter Coruscant without an escort. Ventress smiled softly as she watched Palpatine exit the office; she, apparently, sensed something in the Force. Obi-Wan felt her pulse beat faster, and her breath became giddy with excitement.

_My sniper friend,_ she whispered through their bond, is outside. _With one hell of a grenade waiting for him. _She used the Force-bond established between her and Obi-Wan now; to be overhead meant certain death. Obi-wan sighed softly through his nose.

_Much as I deplore the method, I know it needs to be done._

A blaster shot rang out throughout the chamber, and Palpatine dropped to the floor.

Gasps from the Senators were all around; thousands of languages suddenly sprang to life, asking what was going on, who had shot, where the assassin was, why the shot was fired; Ventress was struggling to contain her laughter, watching Palpatine's body fall to the floor, a smoking, charred bullet hole through the exact center of his forehead. "She was always an expert markswoman."

"Here me, Senate!" A confident, female voice rang out through the entire building. "I've killed who I came to kill. The Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, is _dead!"_ As she screamed the final word, Aurra Sing leapt down from her perch in the rafters, a blur of orange and white. She landed on the Chancellor's podium, which was currently occupied by Mon Mothma of Chandrila. Over her shoulder was a long rifle, tipped back towards the ceiling. Mothma shrank back, fear in her dark eyes. "I'm done here," Aurra announced, tossing her weapon over her shoulder. Mothma caught it shakily, and just as soon dropped it as if it were poison. "See? I'm not armed, and I'm not here for any of you. I go in peace." She cast about the Senate chamber, seemingly searching for someone. Spotting Ventress in the middle of the throng of people, Obi-Wan felt a surge in the Force, and suddenly, Aurra landed on the front of their pod. "Oh, Ventress, darling! Oh, I hoped I'd run into you here. Dear, what the hell is this? Jedi?! What exactly have you been doing?"

Ventress smiled softly. "Aurra, my friend, you and I have so much to catch up on. But for now, I suggest you get out of here. I hear the click of blasters locking and loading."

Aurra smiled, and took a step down into the pod. "Ah, don't worry," she said, seeing the Jedi spring to their feet and ignite their sabers. "I was just leaving." But, as she passed Ventress, she paused in her step. She leaned over slightly, pert nose wrinkling as she sniffed at the air around Ventress. "A baby?" she said, sniffing again. Ventress nodded, seemingly unfazed. Aurra looked shocked. "Oh, darling, please, why?!"

Ventress smiled. "Shoo, shoo," she said. "I'll tell you later."

"Augh, you owe me," Aurra said exasperatedly, rolling her eyes. "I'll meet you outside. Chou, darling." She waved slightly at Ventress over her shoulder as she left, long-fingers rippling as she opened the door and exited, the epitome of calm, cool, and aloof. Ventress smiled slightly at Obi-Wan, looking slightly chagrined.

_Oops, Dooku was the thermal detonator outside…sorry…?_

Obi-Wan said nothing, merely sighing and rolling his eyes. Deep down, though, Ventress sensed his gratitude. One Sith down, and one more to go. The guards in the room immediately cleared the body of Palpatine from the room, exiting out the nearest door as quickly as they could. Ventress, upon looking around, saw that several of the Senators had fainted with fear; she chucked darkly, and gently placed a hand on her stomach. "First taste of life," she whispered. "Welcome to my world, Electa."

Obi-Wan smiled softly, and shook his head. Ventress reached over and took his hand again, relaxing again. The Jedi slowly resumed their positions in their seats, lightsabers finally deactivating. Mon Mothma chucked the rifle over the edge of the podium, just as Aurra stuck her head back through the door. Seeing the rifle falling, she reached out through the Force, using her meager knowledge of it to bring the rifle abruptly off course towards her. She caught it, however forcefully it slammed into her palms, and offered the Jedi a goofy salute. "Forgot this," she said, setting the weapon in its holster again. "Thanks." She flashed the Senate a smirk, an obscene hand gesture, and then, she was gone again. Ventress sighed.

"Always was one for theatrics."

Obi-Wan outright laughed at this, smothering his chuckles with the back of his hand. Mon Mothma stood up in the Chancellor's Podium, calling out, "Order! I will have order!"

The Senate slowly quieted, as she and her assistances screamed at them a little more. Finally, the din had thinned to a few whispers here and there. Mothma decided it was as good as it was going to get. "Alright," she said slowly. "While it is a tragedy that we lost Palpatine-"

"We don't miss him!" someone called out from the other side of the Senate chamber. "No one does!" Mothma faltered, clearly wanting to agree but unable to do so because of her position. Instead, she just sighed, and held up her hands for silence again.

"Alright, calm down, everyone! We must move on with the proceedings. We still have to work out a settlement to end the war between the Republic and the Separatists. Count Dooku, please?"

Dooku swept into the Senate chamber not as a prisoner, but as the head of the Separatist movement. He was flanked by two clones, however, and unarmed. "Count Dooku of Serrenno," Mothma said, rising again to greet him. "You have been fighting this war as both a Sith lord and a Separatist. Now, we seek to end this pointless conflict bloodlessly and right now. I will not close this case until we have reached a settlement."

Dooku seemed fine with that. With the loss of Palpatine, or Darth Sidious, he really had no reason to fight anymore. "I will end the war right now," Dooku said, "On several conditions. I will be allowed to return to my home world of Serrenno, to live out the rest of my life in peace. I will be allowed to pursue the Force in any manner I so choose. I will not be obligated to explain my actions or reasons to you, or the Jedi. And I will allow the Separatists to be merged back into the Republic as smoothly as possible."

Mothma nodded once. It was about as much as she could hope for, she supposed. "I accept all terms that I am entitled to accept," she said. She turned to the Jedi pod. "The Jedi are obligated to accept the rest."

Yoda stood up, moving to the front of the pod as it steadily rose to the level of Mothma's and Dooku's. "Accept these terms, we do, Count Dooku. However, have one term for you to comply with, we do." Dooku raised a brow, and turned to the Jedi. He said nothing, and so, Yoda continued. "Allow you, as a Sith, to take another apprentice, we do not. Pursue the dark side, you may, but instruct another in it, you may not. Clear, we are?"

"Very well, then," Dooku said evenly. "I accept your terms. The droids will be deactivated as soon as I may reach a control center."

"The clones will be recalled as soon as the droids are deactivated," Mace said, rising to his feet in the pod. "Nice dealing with you."

Dooku smiled slightly to Mace, but then, his gaze fell to Ventress. "My dear," he greeted smoothly. "I hear you are with child?"

Ventress seemed shell-shocked by his very voice. Obi-Wan turned and gave her a concerned glance. Ventress took a deep, shaky breath, and replied, "I am."

Her confidence was intriguing to Dooku. "And by Kenobi," he breathed, shaking his head.

"What a galaxy we have become."

**A/N: Whew! Long one! :D But, several nice appearances by some favorites, and so, I hope you all enjoyed. Review, please!!**


	19. Chapter 19

Obi-Wan was out on a mission.

He was worried about taking it, and leaving Ventress alone in her third month of pregnancy. She was due any day now. But still, Ventress had insisted he go, telling him repeatedly that she would go straight to the Temple healers if anything happened. She would have the healers notify him, and he would always be kept up-to-date. She had sworn to answer his every communication, but he had to be the one to call. She would have no way of knowing if he was busy or not. Obi-Wan had left, although rather reluctantly, practically being pushed out the door by Ventress. Anakin had snickered and snorted the entire time, until Obi-Wan threatened to smack him so hard he would go from here to their mission planet in seconds-without hyperspace. Anakin had shut up after that. Still, Obi-Wan was distracted the entire ride to Tiisheraan, his thoughts straying to nothing other than Ventress. _So this is why the Jedi forbade attachment to begin with, _Obi-Wan thought. _It's distracting. Well, I guess one just needs to learn to deal with it, and that will truly make a Jedi master. _Anakin seemed to sense his master's discomfort, and kept quiet. The two were in separate fighters, anyway.

They landed on the planet without incident. They had chosen a landing location near the area they had been asked to investigate: rumors were, there was a Force-sensitive born on the planet. Obi-Wan and Anakin were sent, as Anakin needed experience seeking out Force-sensitive beings he was not familiar with. Obi-Wan had, of course, had to go along. They found the Force-sensitive child fairly easily; it was a male human boy, a year old, and he was, indeed, Force-sensitive. Obi-Wan explained to the family why he needed to be taken back to the Temple and trained, and, as any parent would, they at first refused. Then, he explained the dangers of leaving him untrained, and then, the parents consented. Obi-Wan had no trouble getting the child back to the Temple, and delivered into the hands of one of the Masters in charge of the Younglings. He was heading back to his room, Anakin having long done so, when his comm went off.

"Master, Ventress isn't here."

Obi-Wan's heart immediately stopped. Had something happened? Impossible. She was in a Temple full of Jedi! Someone had to know what happened. And, seeing as Anakin was the person who had reported her missing, Obi-Wan suspected he knew the most. "Is there a note, or anything?" he asked urgently. There was silence on the other end of the comm, and then Anakin said, "There's a bright sticky note on the fridge. Hang on…" Anakin fell silent again, which didn't help Obi-Wan's pounding heart. "It says, 'Went into labor…went down to find Shaak Ti…she should call you sooner or later…' and then she signed it with a little heart and her name." Obi-Wan could almost hear Anakin rolling his eyes and he muttered, "Chicks. Well, hey, on the bright side, you won't have to watch her give birth."

Obi-Wan sighed, and terminated the connection. And then, he flew down the hallways to the healer's wing of the Temple.

OOOOOOOOOO

Shaak Ti was leaning against the doorframe outside.

"And you didn't comm me…because?!!"

The Togruta Jedi shrugged with one shoulder. "Figured you were still busy," she said. "Her water broke a few hours ago. She's just going into labor now."

"Can I see her?" Obi-Wan asked quickly. Shaak Ti sighed.

"Five minutes," she said grudgingly. "This could get messy, fast. I don't know much about Rattataki anatomy, but it'll be more than enough to tide us over. She'll be fine, Obi-Wan. If I can't do it, Barriss can. Or some other healer who has more experience with birthing. I promise, she'll be fine."

"I know," Obi-Wan sighed. "But it doesn't stop me from worrying."

Shaak Ti smiled, and stepped aside from the door. "Understandable," she said. "Now, the sooner you get in and out of there, the better. So, go share some encouragement, and I don't recommend looking into your Force-bond. Go in blind, okay? This is, ah, _lady business, _so…I'd keep your eyes closed when she's calling out to you. Respond, definitely, but just…ah, again, keep your eyes shut." Shaak Ti stepped aside as the door opened, and Obi-Wan stepped through. He nodded once in thanks for her advice, and then walked into the room.

Ventress was lying down on a bed, the covers pulled up over her bare body. She sat up slightly when she saw him enter; Obi-Wan shook his head, and she nodded gratefully to him as she sank back down into the bed. "Hi," she greeted. "Sorry, but I didn't want to interrupt…"

"It's okay," Obi-Wan whispered, pulling up a chair and sitting down next to her. He took her hand in both of his, and noticed she was shaking.

"You'll be fine," he whispered. "I'll always be there, just call for me, okay? They won't let me in the room itself, but I swear, I'll be waiting right outside that door all night, except when I have to use the toilet, and you can always call me through our bond. But, ah, I warn you-I will be keeping my eyes closed."

Ventress laughed slightly, and then winced and gasped as a contraction overtook her. For a moment, there was nothing but pain in her beautiful features; she gripped his hand so tight, Obi-Wan thought the bones were going to break. Then, it seemed the pain finally passed, and her grip on his hand released again. "You'll be fine," Obi-Wan whispered, raising one hand to her cheek. His soft caresses calmed her; she took deep breaths, trying to quiet her screaming nerves. Her entire body was on high alert: she thought her heart would explode, and her lungs would burst open. She was scared, Obi-Wan could tell: he could see it in her very eyes. She wouldn't show it, though: she was far too proud for that. Obi-Wan knew that pride was going to be both help and hindrance during her life. Now, it might be both. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and then gently patted her shoulder. "You'll be fine," he repeated, for what felt like that thousandth useless time. "I promise."

Shaak Ti's blue horns preceded her into the room. "Five minutes is up, Kenobi," she said. "Sorry, but ya gotta go."

Obi-Wan gave Ventress an apologetic look, and then stood up. "I'll be right outside," he whispered, reluctantly letting go of her hand. Ventress gave him a strained smile, as if to try to reassure him, but it didn't really work too well. Obi-Wan left his heart in the room with her. As soon as the doors hissed shut behind him, he immediately felt the hollowness in his chest. He felt terrible for leaving Ventress alone in there for…Force knows how long. But he had no choice, he knew. He didn't particularly feel like watching Ventress give birth, either. Much as he hated to admit it, being outside that room might even be better for him…

Kit walked up to him.

"Hey, I don't think you're gonna wanna be here for much longer."

Obi-Wan raised a brow. "Um, why?" he asked slowly. Kit shrugged.

"It's gonna get messy, I know," he said. "Ladies have issues, dude, issues that guys can't even begin to comprehend…and birth sucks for them. Like, sucks worse than being stuck out in the field without a lightsaber. And they can't even kill the pain, because she stills needs to-"

"Spare me the details," Obi-Wan said, grimacing and holding up his hand for Kit to stop. "There was a reason I actually agreed to step out."

"You're going to be sitting here a while."

"Overnight?"

"Possibly."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I'd do it for her," he said, "but no one else. Qui-Gon, maybe...if he were still alive. Anakin, maybe. But…no one else. She's wonderful, Kit, despite everything she's done. She still has a heart, and she can show it. People just get her wrong, because of the past."

Kit nodded, grinning. "Well, with the new attachment-now-permitted rule, I've been getting a little closer with a Twi'lek of my skin color."

Obi-Wan smiled. "Well, good luck," he said. "Has she noticed yet?"

"Oh, it's mutual," Kit assured. "We're just allowed to go forward with it now."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Yeah, you and Aayla were always pretty close…"

Kit nodded, folding his arms and leaning against the wall opposite Obi-Wan. "So, what's your plan?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "For what?" he asked.

"For tonight…"

"Sit here and wait for Shaak Ti to stick her head out and tell me I'm clear to come in."

"I'll comm you when I get off my date."

And he was gone.

Obi-Wan smiled as he caught site of several head-tail whipping around the corner, and marveled at Kit's escape skills. He had a knack for running away, but never used it. The day Kit ran away from something, Obi-Wan swore, would be the day Yoda lost a Force-battle. Or won a beauty pageant. Obi-Wan shivered. Yoda might have been wise and powerful, but attractive wasn't part of the package deal…Obi-Wan sank down on his haunches against the wall, exhaling slowly and pushing his legs out from underneath him. He fell with a slight _thump! _and hit the floor. He leaned back against the wall, and stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankle. He tipped his head back until it hit the wall, and then closed his eyes. Might as well enjoy the peace while it lasted. If Kit's words were true, he was in for one hell of a night…

"Hi."

Obi-Wan glanced up into the green-tinted face of Luminara Unduli, looking down at him with sympathetic, striking blue eyes. "Hi," he greeted. He gently patted the floor next to him. "Have a seat," he invited. "The company would be welcome."

Luminara smiled, but politely declined. "Sorry, but I've only got a minute. I feel I should warn you, though: Rattataki females have a very difficult time with birth. It takes them a very long time, and it is very taxing for them. They have long, narrow birth canals, and it's quite a painful experience for them to give birth. They do lose a bit of blood in the process: about a quarter of a pint. Just be there in the Force for her; talk to her. But don't look."

Obi-Wan nodded. The news wasn't encouraging, but it was nice to know what was going on without all the nasty details. Or, as close to without as possible. "Got it," he said. "Thanks."

Luminara smiled again. "Any time," she said. "So, do you have a name yet?"

"We were thinking about either Raina or Electa," Obi-Wan replied. "What do you think?"

"I think you'll know when you see your baby's face," she replied smoothly. "The Force will certainly let you know."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. Made sense. "Thanks," he said. "Again."

Luminara smiled, nodded, and then moved off down the hallway. Obi-Wan's head hit the wall again. Bored…might as well take a nap. He got the feeling he wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight.

OOOOOOOOOO

Obi-Wan was right: he got next to no sleep that night.

The entire thing passed in a fog. He had gotten in a good two hour's worth of nap time before Ventress's distress had awakened him. He had woken up, heard her screams, and immediately reached out to her through the Force. She clung to him desperately, almost suffocating in her grip, struggling with the contractions that gripped her slender body. Obi-Wan kept his eyes strongly shielded: he didn't want to see what Ventress was seeing at this point in time. She struggled for hours with the contractions, each one stronger than the last, and each one closer to the next. Obi-Wan recalled what Luminara had said about Rattatakis: they had a while to go, from where things stood. Obi-Wan could hear the voices of Ventress, Shaak Ti, and several other female Jedi healers in the next room, all of them struggling to help Ventress and protect the baby. Ventress, however, was tiring quickly: and her fatigue wasn't a good thing.

Obi-Wan sent every ounce of strength he could to Ventress along their bond, fortifying it with all the encouragement and love he could. Ventress accepted it gradually, using the energy as slowly and steadily as she could. She didn't want to take everything at once. Obi-Wan helped to taper the stream as Ventress kept at it, trying to bring her baby safely into the world. Obi-Wan, with his eyes closed, could see nothing of the room behind him, nor could he see the people within it. But boy, could he hear it! Ventress's screams repeatedly punctured the air, as well as those of the healers trying to call above her and calm her down. This went on for another few hours; Obi-Wan was beginning to fear they were going to have to operate. His heart began to flutter nervously; he could feel Ventress's distress, though, much greater than his, and tried to be brave, for her sake. She would sense his fear, and worry.

"A little more!"

Obi-Wan grimaced as he heard the healers yelling, trying to help Ventress keep going. She was close, he knew: her efforts, though, were quickly becoming exhausted again. Obi-Wan sent her more strength, trying to renew her ability. But still, Ventress struggling, barely making it.

Suddenly, her screams ceased.

Obi-Wan moved to leap to his feet, just as several relieved gasps issued within the Force. He sat down again, and waited for a moment. No need to be hasty. The Force told him everything, once he actually stopped and looked: Ventress was fine; the baby was fine. Ventress was completely exhausted, beyond anything either she or Obi-Wan had felt so far in their lives. Obi-Wan remained with Ventress through the Force, offering her congratulations and encouragements. She just lay there, panting and struggling to get enough oxygen into her body. Hours of labor had driven her to the brink of passing out with exhaustion, and now, she just wanted to rest.

The door opened, and Obi-Wan jolted back to the present.

It was Shaak Ti who stuck her head out, as he had thought, and announced, "She's done. They're both fine; and you, sir, are the father of a beautiful baby girl."

Shaak Ti retreated unto the room, and Obi-Wan pushed himself to his feet with a small grunt of pain. He had been sitting in one position for far too long. Still, he fought his way into the room, eager to see his baby girl for the first time.

Ventress was sitting up, propped up by multiple pillows, holding her baby in her arms. She was naked, and held her baby against her breast. She was covered in sweat, and red stained the sheets around her hips and legs. Her entire figure seemed to radiate exhaustion, but she still smiled when she caught Obi-Wan's eye.

"She's just like we saw in the Force."

Obi-Wan sat down on the edge of the bed next to Ventress, looking down at his baby in wonder. It was the size as any human baby, but with the palest peach skin possible, and icy blue eyes. She had her father's auburn hair, and her mother's upturned nose. She had her father's soft features, and her mother's piercing eyes. She had a slender figure, even as a newborn, and muscle definition that Obi-Wan was sure many would grow to envy. He felt tears spring to his eyes at the sight of the baby: not just any baby, but _his _baby. _His _beautiful little girl. Born from _him,_ and the woman he loved until the ends of the earth. He was utterly floored by the prospect, and felt the tears sting even more at the backs of his eyes.

"What's her name?"

Shaak Ti stood at the foot of the bed, pausing in cleaning up after the birth. Ventress and Obi-Wan heard the Force whisper the baby's name; they glanced at each other, then at Shaak Ti, and said at once:

"Eva."

**A/N: "Eva" means "to live" in Hebrew. It's a pretty name…and that was pretty much the reason! :D nah, just kidding. I chose Eva because of the meaning behind the name, trying to say that this little girl is a survivor, just like her mother. And so, we have a new little Jedi! XD She will be wreaking havoc. So, review to see exactly what!**


	20. Chapter 20

Ventress was back in her own-or rather, Obi-Wan's-apartment the very next day. She refused to stay in the infirmary, taking her baby with her and high-tailing out of there as soon as Shaak Ti gave the smallest sign of consent. The Togruta Jedi knew Ventress's stubborn nature, and knew the futile nature of fighting fire with fire. And so, she allowed Ventress to go back home; technically, up two stories and down the hall. She instructed her strictly to remain in bed and rest for a few days, to nurse her baby every chance she got, and contact her at the smallest sign of a complication. Most of Shaak Ti's words had gone in one ear and out the other, and Ventress had headed right upstairs. Obi-Wan met her right outside the door of her room, and escorted her up to their room. Ventress drew stares wherever they walked; it wasn't like they weren't used to it by now, though. Obi-Wan just ignored everyone around them, one arm around Ventress, until they got upstairs.

Anakin didn't look thrilled to see Ventress back so soon.

"What, that doesn't hurt?" he said snidely, glancing at Ventress. "Up and walking already, huh? How much did the stairs do you in?"

"Guys are wimps when it comes to two things," Ventress said smoothly, walking over to the couch and sitting down, Eva in her arms. "Beauty, and babies."

"Oh, so you cried like your baby the entire time?"

Ventress gazed up at Obi-Wan, putting on her best innocent face. "Can you kill him for me? Please? Getting blood all over myself might scare the baby…"

Obi-Wan, to her surprise, laughed. "Sorry, darling," he said, sitting down next to her on the couch, "I'll have to wait until you're out. Eva might not like the screams, either."

"I'm not goin' down without bringing down at least one creature with me," Anakin said defiantly. His gaze turned to Ventress again. "Ventress, you're sort of alive?"

Ventress merely raised an eyebrow. "You go through birth and I'd love to see how you handle it."

Anakin snickered. "I'm too smart to forget the condom," he sneered. Obi-Wan glanced sidelong at him.

"Oh, we didn't forget."

Anakin looked ready to throw up. "So…it broke?"

Obi-Wan grabbed a pillow from behind himself, and chucked it viciously at Anakin. "No, she was planned, you douche!" he snapped.

Anakin got up, and fled the scene.

Ventress leaned over, smiling. "Thank you," she said, leaning her head on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "He was getting on my nerves."

"I'll kick him out tomorrow," Obi-Wan said. "The Council has decided to assign him a Padawan."

Ventress's brows knit together in confusion. "Hasn't he sworn several times he'll never take a Padawan?"

Obi-Wan grinned maliciously. "He can't defy a direct order from the Council," he said. "I'll break it to him next time he insults you."

Ventress's smile seemed to light up the entire room. "Good," she said. "He needs to be knocked down a few pegs."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I love him dearly, but he's a fool sometimes. Maturity isn't his strong point. Obviously. The Council was also hoping to teach him some responsibility, and maybe help him realize that he's not the only one in the picture. Just because he's the Chosen One doesn't mean he gets special treatment."

"I would think it would be quite the opposite," Ventress murmured, shifting Eva from one arm to the other. Her child was a fairly calm child: she had cried only at birth, and whenever she needed something. Ventress tried her best to care for her child, but she was relatively new to the whole concept of mothering. Obi-Wan, too, tried to help her through it, but he knew even less than her. Ventress gazed into her baby's sleeping face, still somewhat mesmerized by the thought of this beautiful baby being hers. She still wasn't completely used to the fact that she had a child now. And by a _Jedi! _The very Jedi she had sworn to kill at all costs…she was now the mother of his child. My, how things have changed.

"I would think Anakin would be more mature because of it. If anything, he seems to have lost some maturity since he became a Jedi."

"He had less of a burden on his shoulders," Ventress reasoned. "He might have wanted the childhood he never had."

"You know," Obi-Wan remarked, crossing one leg over the other, "for someone with so little experience with humans and other sentient beings and living with them, you have an astounding and comprehensive understanding of them."

Ventress shrugged slightly. "Sometimes the best lessons are those learned in silence."

Obi-Wan sighed softly, putting his arm around her again. "I agree in full," he murmured. "I agree in full."

A silence fell between them then. But it wasn't a heavy, awkward silence: it was the calm, soothing silence of simply enjoying the presence of another. Particularly, the presence of someone the other loved. It was nice to just have _silence_ for a time…

Eva woke up.

OOOOOOOOOO

"My lord, do you know what your apprentice has been doing while you were incarcerated?!"

Dooku strode angrily across the bridge of the _Invisible Hand, _watching Grievous follow him with a hunched-over, clanging walk, his clawed hands twining before him like the knurled knuckles of an old man. Dooku wasn't in the mood for crap from Grievous; and he did not have to take it. The tall man wheeled around, staring up at Grievous's bone-mask, pitted with miniscule cracks and plagued by tiny holes. Grievous looked slightly startled by the sudden turn around, and leaned back a bit to accommodate Dooku.

"I am well aware, general," Dooku whispered, his voice a menacing leer. "And I am no longer in control of the situation. Believe me, General, if I was, she would be dead or dying in response for her crimes against us. But, I have the entire galaxy against me, and I cannot risk anything in their eye. I will, unfortunately, have to relinquish my control over one particular Rattataki female. However useful a pawn she was, and however difficult she would be to replace, we must accept her loss and move on. You are never to speak her name again, lest I rip your throat out where you stand. Am. I. Understood."

Grievous nodded quickly, suddenly fearing for his life. Dooku then turned on his heel, all armor weave cape and thundering presence, and commanded the Neimoidean crew to jump to hyperspace, and set a course for Serenno. The cowardly reptiles saw to immediately, and Dooku exited the bridge, telling Grievous not to follow him. Grievous, of course, obeyed.

Dooku strode into his personal meditation chambers, rather grumpy at this point. Ventress was going to be difficult to replace. He might not be able to take another apprentice in the ark side, not directly, but he could do it indirectly. If he could only find a way…it didn't have to be some crazy, revenge-bent idiot wanting nothing more than to kill everything alive. Darth Maul, cough-cough. Cough. Asajj Ventress. All Sith wanna-be's. Dooku had seen it; Sidious had seen it. And that was why it was Dooku, and not one other Dark Acolyte, who had been chosen for the coveted title of Sith apprentice. Dooku was a gentleman, moreover: he was civilized, unlike those other wild savages who had wanted nothing more than death and destruction. He had been able to do something those others could not: control himself. Force, was it really too much to ask?! Just a little restraint, please! Dooku himself could rebuild the Sith, he decided. As those who explored the Force through passion, and not control. He would make sure that the Sith became known for being individuals not to be messed with, but who were diplomatic and could actually hold a civilized conversation with another sentient being. Individualism would be valued. And people couldn't be afraid to play dirty. Dooku finally made it to his meditation chambers-

Only to realize he had already sorted himself out.

Well, comes with such remarkable self-control.

OOOOOOOOOO

Ventress didn't really expect anything else: after all, Shaak Ti had been remarkably generous in allowing her to leave the infirmary. But, that pretty much entitled her to bugging Ventress whenever she felt like it. Now was one of those times. Ventress had actually been nursing Eva when Shaak Ti knocked on the door; Obi-Wan had stood up and opened it for her, unlocking it and depressing the "open" button. He stepped aside without a word, knowing why the Togruta Jedi was here. Only Eva's second day of life, and she was already sick to death of Shaak Ti. But, Ventress had yet to break the news: Shaak Ti had been chosen as the godmother.

"How is she?"

Shaak Ti sat down next to Ventress on the couch, watching the baby nurse. Ventress shifted her body away a bit, still a bit self-conscious. "She's fine," she answered, looking down at her baby. "Doing wonderfully, actually. No problems at all."

Shaak Ti nodded slowly. "And you have you yourself had any problems?" she pressed.

"None," Ventress assured her. "Everyone's been fine, really. Obi-Wan's adapting well, and so am I. Eva goes everywhere with me, and we pretty much never see Anakin or Ahsoka."

"Ah, the two most immature, poorly-restrained Jedi in the entire order," Shaak Ti said, voice dripping with sarcastic pleasure. "I don't count Kit, because he can control himself. Somewhat. If he chooses. He has a sense of 'there's a time and a place for everything,' and, 'you just missed a really good opportunity to keep your mouth shut.' Kit knows that; he's always been good with stuff like that. Anakin…not so much. And he's rubbing off on Ahsoka."

Ventress smiled. "I dunno," she said, a smile across her face. "Ahsoka wasn't exactly a model Jedi to begin with."

Shaak Ti smiled in return. "But she was better than this," she said softly, keeping her voice a mocking whisper. "Anyway, so, have you chosen the godparents yet?"

"Actually, we have," Ventress said. Noticing Eva had fallen asleep in her lap, she pulled her top back up over her shoulder. "Kit is going to be the godfather, and you are the godmother."

At first, Shaak Ti only looked shocked. Then, she just looked elated. "Wow, awesome!" was all she could manage for the moment. Obi-Wan, after having disappeared for several minutes, came back and sat with the two women on the couch. Ventress smiled softly, and leaned on his shoulder.

"We know you'll take care of our child the best if we can't," he said, putting his arm around Ventress. "You and Kit both. Like you said, he's got good self-restraint, but he knows when it's okay to let loose a little bite. You're both amazing Jedi, strong with the Force and saber both, and we thought that you would be the best for our child."

Shaak Ti smiled. "Aw…group hug!"

OOOOOOOOOO

Dooku strode into his library. He had just returned his palace, greeted his relatives, explored the place a little, and was now aiming to just get some peace and quiet. The Separatist board was not exactly the most fun in the world. They were all loud, whining beaurocratic fools who couldn't find any interest but in themselves and their own star systems. Dooku was about fed up, anyway. Sidious was supposed to have ended the war by destroying the Jedi, but obviously, that hadn't happened. Although, the Jedi had, in essentiality, destroyed themselves: before Ventress and Obi-Wan's incident, anyway. But, seeing them finally recognize the error of their ways, and change it, none the less-! Well, Dooku had to give them credit for it. He himself had come to some new revelations as well. He supposed that, if the Jedi could pull it together, they deserved to live. He wouldn't take another apprentice, either: just leave a well-known record of the Sith as they were supposed to be: those who explored the Force through passion, not loss of self.

With this in mind, Dooku set about recording his ideals.

**A/N: And that be the story, folks! Hope you all had a blast reading it: I know it was fun to write! :D I might do a sequel at some point, but this just kind of felt like the best place to end it. It was a wonderful story, and I'm sad it's over, but stretching it out might have ruined it. Anyway, I might do a sequel later, and in fact, it's a very likely possibility. But, for now, I think was a good story that really earned its place on my Top Three list. :D**

**And, on another note, thank you so much to each and every single one of you amazing reviewers out there! You helped make this story what it was, and how awesome it was, and you totally deserve individual recognition. While I can't put every single person's name down here, you know who you are, and I thank you extensively. Thank you so much everyone, I wish you well, and watch out for the sequel! :D**


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